PoK part of India and we will take it back: Amit Shah in West Bengal

Serampore (WB), May 15 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday referred to protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and said "PoK is part of India and we will take it".

Addressing a rally in Serampore, Shah said while peace has returned to once trouble-torn Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir "now echoes with slogans of Azadi and protests.

"After the abrogation of Article 370 by the government in 2019 peace has returned to Kashmir. But now we witness protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Earlier slogans of Azadi were heard here, now the same slogans are heard in PoK. Earlier stones were pelted here, now stones are pelted in PoK," he said.

Hitting out at Congress leaders for not supporting the demand of taking over PoK, Shah said, "Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar say it should not be done as they have an atom bomb. But let me say this Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of India and we will take it." Shah said the present Lok Sabha elections are about "choosing between corrupt leaders of INDI alliance and honest politician Narendra Modi, who despite being Chief Minister and then Prime Minister never had an allegation of single paisa against him." "It's a fight between the 'Chinese guarantee' of the INDI Alliance and the concrete promises of Modi Ji. It's a fight between infiltration and the guarantee of citizenship under the CAA. It's a fight between 'Vote for Vikas' and 'Vote for Jihad'! The choice is yours," he said.

Dubbing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as "Hirak Rani" in an apparent reference to the film "Hirak Rajar Deshe" by Oscar-awarded filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Shah said, "Satyajit Ray was a great artist and filmmaker. He made a movie - Hirak Rajar Deshe. It was quite a famous movie." "But when Mamata ji came to power, Satyajit Ray was not there, otherwise, he would have made a movie named 'Hirak Rani', instead of 'Hirak Rajar Deshe'. Mamata Banerjee is the Hirak Rani," he said.

"Bengal is the land which gave us Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana and played a key role in Bengal's freedom struggle. Both the communists and the TMC tried to end nationalism and patriotism in Bengal," he said.

Hitting out at the TMC over various scams, Shah said "No one will be spared even if Mamata Banerjee tries to protect them." "Those involved in corruption and scams and looting common people of Bengal should be prepared to go to jail. No one will be spared," he added.

Shah slammed Banerjee for opposing the CAA and "taking out rallies in support of infiltrators" to appease her vote bank.

"Mamata Banerjee is spreading lies and canards about CAA. Why is she against refugees obtaining citizenship? She is supporting infiltration in Bengal but opposes Hindu refugees getting citizenship. She is taking of supporting infiltrators and Mullahs," he said.

The Centre in March implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

Referring to politics of appeasement by the TMC in Bengal, Shah said invitations for the consecration ceremony were sent to both Mamata Didi and her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee), but they chose not to attend it, "as they are afraid that infiltrators, who are TMC's vote bank, might get offended." Hitting out at TMC candidate and sitting MP from Serampore Kalyan Banerjee for mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Shah said Mamata Banerjee and TMC leaders are known for flouting the constitution.

"Mamata Banerjee and TMC continue to flout the Constitution. Mamata's 'representative' and the TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee's ridiculous act of mocking the vice president has been a shameful case of insulting a high constitutional position in the country," he said.

A political row unfolded last year after Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the Parliament stairs, condemning the suspension of opposition MPs.

Criticising the TMC's resistance to central projects in Bengal, Shah said during the Congress-led UPA regime Bengal received around Rs 2 lakh crore in a period spanning 10 years from 2004-2014.

"On the other hand, the Modi government in the last 10 years have provided a whopping Rs 9.25 lakh crore. But this money did not benefit the common people as this fund was siphoned by TMC goons...," he said. PTI