Bharatiya Janta Party’s troika Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister and Party President JP Nadda Sunday aggressively campaigned in different parts of Jammu region ahead of the second round of polling on September 25.

The senior BJP leaders promised restoration of ‘statehood’ soon after the formation of the BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir. They also thrashed alliance partners Congress and the National Conference for promoting the Pakistani agenda, wanting to bring Jammu and Kashmir back to the status quo and restore Article 370.

Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in support of Ravinder Raina in Nowshera on Sunday said talks will not be held with Pakistan till terrorism is eliminated. He maintained the BJP must come to power in  Jammu and Kashmir to ensure peace and teach the neighbouring country a lesson. The home minister castigated the National Conference, Congress and PDP over the issue of terrorism and said no stone-pelter or terrorist would be released from jail.

After forming a government in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP will issue a white paper to expose the role of the three families who had ‘biryani’ with terrorists.

Shah said he would like to talk to the youths of Jammu and Kashmir whom he referred to as “lions”.

“The BJP government is a must in J&K for peace, prosperity and development besides giving a befitting reply to terrorism and teaching a lesson to Pakistan,” Shah said, urging them to vote for BJP candidates, especially Raina whom he praised for strengthening the party in the region.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed three election meetings in Poonch, Rajouri and Sunderbani and one in the RS Pura area of Jammu.

Addressing a rally in Poonch in support of BJP candidate Choudhary Abdul Gani Rajnath Singh said, Pakistan is feeling “pain in its belly” watching democracy flourishing in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370. Singh also accused the National Conference (NC), Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of misleading people by talking about the restoration of Article 370 of the Constitution in their manifestoes and said these parties should stop working as “proxies of Pakistan”. “The NC, Congress and PDP are making a lot of noise over Article 370 and have promised to restore it. How will you restore it as only a government at the Centre has the power to do so?” Singh asked.

He said real politics is to tell the truth to people by looking in their eyes, instead of misleading them to secure their votes.

“The BJP is clear in its stand that we will not allow restoration of Article 370 come what may,” the defence minister asserted.

 “The first phase of the Assembly election registered more than 61 per cent polling, surpassing the record-breaking 58 per cent polling in the Lok Sabha election. The message has gone to the world that Article 370 was abrogated for the betterment of India.

 Six election rallies were addressed by these leaders across different assembly segments of Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu on Sunday. JP Nadda also conducted a road show and addressed a meeting of intellectuals in Jammu.

Addressing an election rally in support of BJP candidate Sham Lal Sharma contesting from the Jammu North Assembly segment BJP chief J P Nadda labelled the Congress and the National Conference (NC) as “non-nationalist forces” and said Pakistan’s defence minister himself “certified” the two parties for carrying out that country’s agenda in Jammu and Kashmir.

He also highlighted the “wave of change” in Jammu and Kashmir under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and underscored BJP’s “deep connection” with the Union Territory.

Nadda claimed terror attacks have significantly reduced and said the lifespan of terrorists under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership is “only a few days”, but these parties are trying to negotiate with them.

Accusing the Congress, NC, and PDP of “corruption” and “ruining” Jammu and Kashmir, Nadda said, “These three political dynasties – the Abdullah family, Mufti family, and Nehru-Gandhi family – have harmed Kashmir.

They brought rampant corruption and destroyed this beautiful state.”