BJP committed for development of J&K, says Union Minister Amit Shah

Surankote (J&K), Sep 21 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the BJP is committed for development of Jammu and Kashmir, which has suffered a lot due to terrorism over the past 35 years.

Addressing an election rally in this border town of Poonch district, Shah lashed out at the National Conference, Congress and PDP for the spread of terrorism and said that money pumped into Jammu and Kashmir for the welfare of people over the years was utilized to fight the menace.

“The first phase of the assembly election is over. Be sure, Farooq (Abdullah of the NC) and Mehbooba (Mufti of the PDP) are not forming the next government. They kept the youth ‘majboor’ (compelled) but we want our youth to become ‘mazboot’ (strong)," said Shah. “They handed over machine guns and stones in the hands of the youth instead of books and laptops. We will also provide the youth with guns but not to spread terror. We will hold special recruitment drives (for border youth). The youth, who were holding guns for terrorism, will safeguard the country and will take on Pakistan,” he added.

Seeking votes for BJP candidate and former minister Syed Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, who joined the saffron party in February after his Pahari community was granted the Scheduled Tribe status, Shah said, “We are committed to the development of J&K. Enough already, now is the time for development.” “I want to ask the Congress and the NC which governed J&K for decades, leading to the eruption of terrorism that consumed 40,000 lives and closed the valley for 3,000 days and shrouded J&K into darkness. These parties are responsible for all this,” he added.

Shah said that terrorism was wiped out and nobody will be allowed to revive the menace.

“The development in J&K was hit for the last 35 years. Crores of rupees pumped into the region for the welfare of the people was utilized fighting terrorism,” he said, adding “the BJP is working for the welfare of people and Modi’s ‘dil aur jolee’ is very big and we will take Jammu and Kashmir to new heights of development, peace and prosperity”.

The senior BJP leader said over two crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir last year.

“The number is more than the tourists, who visited J&K during the rule of Farooq Abdullah,” he added.

Alleging discrimination with Poonch by the previous governments to tap the tourism potential of the area, Shah said there is snowfall and beautiful locations in Surankote but why people only prefer Pahalgam (hill resort in south Kashmir) and nobody is visiting this place.

“We will fully tap the tourism potential of the area which is your right,” he added.

The home minister also lashed out at the National Conference over its poll promise of reviewing the reservation and said nobody will be allowed to touch the reservation granted to various communities, especially Pahari, Gujjars and Bakerwals.

“National Conference opposed the bill introduced in the Parliament for ST status to Paharis and also tried to provoke Gujjars. I came here and assured the Gujjars that granting ST status to Paharis will have no impact on their reservation and we kept our promise,” he added.

Shah said that he has been in politics for 40 years and has come across many big leaders but Bukhari never sought anything for himself.

“Bukhari led a delegation of the Pahari community on December 16, 2019 to my residence and raised the demand of Pahari status,” he said, asking the people to vote him in large numbers to make him their legislator. PTI