Predicting the Assembly poll results in advance, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday declared the National Conference and the Congress will never be able to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah said the BJP will contest and win these elections with full strength. He also emphasized that the election results will be decided by the people of Jammu.
Addressing the ‘Karyakarta Sammelan’, a day after releasing the party’s Sankalp Patra (Manifesto) here in Jammu Shah motivated the booth-level party workers to launch a door-to-door campaign to ensure the formation of the BJP government. “We just don’t have to defeat them, we have to seize their deposits”.
“I am reading the writing on the wall that NC and Congress will never form a government. They are the people who forced Maharaja Hari Singh to exile and only his ashes could be brought back after his death,” Shah said. The movement started by Pandit Prem Nath Dogra was ended by PM Modi Ji on August 5, 2019.
He said, “It is a coincidence that the first election rally of BJP is starting on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi and we all know that Lord Ganesh destroys all the obstacles of the path”.
The Union Home Minister said the upcoming elections are historic. For the first time since the country’s independence, the voters of Jammu and Kashmir will cast their votes under the tricolor. For the first time, votes will be cast under the Constitution of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and not under two constitutions. For the first time, no PM will sit in Jammu and Kashmir as only one person can be PM. These elections are taking place out of the shadow of article 370 and we have seen its results in Lok Sabha elections.” More than 58 percent of voters participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing the gathering of party workers Shah assured people about the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood after the assembly election.
Shah also urged the youth of Kashmir to refrain from supporting the National Conference-Congress alliance, warning their vote could potentially bring militancy back.
The NDA Government will not allow the revival of terrorism, “autonomy” and injustice with any community, including Gujjars, Pahari, Bakerwals and Dalits who were granted reservation by the BJP dispensation, he asserted.
The Union Home Minister came down heavily on Congress and the National Conference on their claims that they would restore statehood and start talks with Pakistan. Shah, however, asserted”till there is no peace, there will be no talks with Pakistan.”
The Home Minister said that the NC-Congress alliance was fooling people by saying they would restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as only the government can do this and PM Modi will do this.
“Congress and the National Conference are saying they will restore statehood. Tell me who can give it? It is only the Central government, PM Modi who can give it. So stop fooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have said that at an appropriate time after the elections, we will give statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We have said this in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi should stop misleading the people of J&K,” Union Minister Amit Shah said. He further alleged that only the Central Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the authority to restore ‘statehood’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
Stating the BJP’s 10 agendas for elections, Shah said, “Congress and NC want to bring back two flags, article in Jammu and Kashmir, will you? They want to snatch the reservation of Gujjars, Bakarwal, Paharis and Dalits. I want to tell one thing to Rahul Gandhi: no matter how much effort you put in, we will not let the reservation of Gujjars, Bakarwal, Paharis and Dalits be touched. Abrogation of Article 370 has given rights to women, will you let them snatch their rights? They want to release the criminals wrapped up in terrorism, but we won’t let them spread terrorism in Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, and Doda. They say we will restart LoC trade, but who will benefit from it? Their profit will be used to spread terrorism. They want to talk to Pakistan but I want to say that till there is no peace, there will be no talks with Pakistan.”
“Three families want Jammu and Kashmir to incline towards terrorism. Gandhi, Abdullah and the Mufti family have looted money from Jammu and Kashmir; they want to restore the old system, which means there will be inequality in Jammu.
In a veiled attack at the National Conference and the PDP, Shah said
“Kashmir has suffered a lot from terrorism. There were governments in Kashmir that turned a blind eye to terrorism. Some people would come here and become chief ministers when there was peace and when there was terrorism, they would go to Delhi and drink coffee in coffee bars.”
Praising the Modi government, Shah said that the BJP government has reduced up to 70 percent of terrorism in the territory and now Amarnath Yatra is carried out fearlessly.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party has done the work of reducing terrorism by 70 percent in 10 years. After many years, the Amarnath Yatra was carried out fearlessly. After many years, night theatre started in the valley, Tazia procession was carried out in the valley. The people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the people of Jammu have to decide whether they want terrorism peace, or development. If NC and Congress come to power, terrorism will come and if BJP will come, then no one can infiltrate here,” said Shah.
