No talks with Pak; Modi govt will wipe out terror: Amit Shah in J&K

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday ruled out holding any dialogue with Pakistan and asserted that the Modi government will wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and make it the most peaceful place in the country.

Addressing his first public rally in the Valley since the abrogation of the Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Shah also went all out to target the “three families that ruled Kashmir for seventy years”.

The rally was held at Baramulla under several layers of security and was attended by over 10,000 people, most of whom were from the border areas of Tangdhar, Uri and Bandipore. Some of them were government employees, who accused their senior officials of “forcing” them to attend the rally.

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‘Why talk to Pak?’

Shah also announced that the elections to the J&K Assembly would be held as soon as the Election Commission completes the process of revision of electoral rolls in the Union Territory.

“Some people say we should talk to Pakistan. Why should we talk to Pakistan? We will not talk. We will talk to the people of Baramulla, we will talk to the people of Kashmir,” Shah said.

He said the Modi government does not tolerate terrorism and it wants to end and wipe it out.

“We want to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful place in the country,” he said.

Shah said some people often talk about Pakistan but he wanted to know how many villages in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have electricity connections. “We have ensured in the last three years that all villages in Kashmir have electricity connection,” he added.

Attacking the ‘families’

Shah used a large part of his 25-minute speech to attack the “three families that have ruled Kashmir for 70 years”, identifying the third family – the other two being Abdullahs and Muftis — for the first time, as Gandhis.

Coming down heavily on three political families for the second consecutive day, even taking their names, the home minister alleged that their rules were full of misgovernance, corruption and lack of development.

“Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

‘Modi brought industry’

Calling the National Conference (NC) as “Abdullahs and sons” and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as “Mufti and company”, Shah charged that they allegedly gave stones and guns in the hands of Kashmiri youth.

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“Modi ji brought industry here and gave mobiles and laptops in their (youth’s) hands,” he said. “Gupkar model gave us Pulwama attack. Modi model gave AIIMS at Pulwama. Gupkar model gave stones and machine guns (in youth’s hands) and closed colleges whereas Modi model gave us IIMs, IITs, NIFTs and NEET,” Shah said.