'No power can talk of autonomy in J&K': Amit Shah lashes out at Congress-NC alliance

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (September 7) assured restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after the assembly polls, which he said are “the first under the national flag and the Constitution” following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government.

He accused the Congress-National Conference alliance of making attempts to revive the “old system”. 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 said.

Shah is in Jammu on a two-day visit to boost the BJP's election campaign for the three-phase assembly elections, beginning September 18. He released the party's manifesto on his first day of visit on Friday and also chaired two crucial meetings with senior leaders to discuss the campaign strategy.

Flays Congress, NC

Hitting out at the Congress and National Conference (NC) over a host of issues, Shah asked the two parties to “stop fooling people in the name of statehood.”

“The Congress and NC are saying that they will restore statehood. Tell me, who can give it (statehood)? Only the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi can. So stop fooling the people. We have said that at an appropriate time after the election, we will give statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We have said this in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi should stop misleading the people. They are announcing something that we have already given, have you seen anything like this before,” he asked.

“They (Opposition parties) say they want to talk to Pakistan. Let me tell you, until there is peace, there will be no talks with Pakistan... Three families - Congress, the National Conference's Abdullah family and PDP's Mufti family - want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to the age of corruption. They say they will bring back the old arrangement... They speak of bringing back autonomy, let me state categorically that no power can talk of autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir,” the minister said in Hindi.

Historic elections

“The coming elections in J&K are historic because after Independence, the polls are happening the first time under our national flag and Constitution, unlike in the past practice of two flags and two constitutions. We have only one prime minister from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and he is Modi,” Shah told a BJP workers' rally in Jammu on Saturday.

Taking a dig at the National Conference-Congress alliance, Shah alleged they are trying to push Jammu and Kashmir into turmoil once again when the government has brought down terror incidents in the Union Territory by 70%.

“The National Conference and the Congress will never be able to form a government in J&K, be confident about it,” Shah told the party workers, encouraging them to ensure the success of the BJP candidates to form the next government.

(With agency inputs)