“Borders peaceful as Pak fears PM Modi”

STATE TIMES NEWS

AKHNOOR: Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused the Congress, National Conference and PDP of pursuing “Pakistan’s agenda” by talking about the restoration of Article 370 and said a vote for the BJP would be a “befitting reply” to the neighbouring country.
He was addressing his fifth election rally of the day here on the outskirts of Jammu city.
Referring to the reported statement of Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif that his country and NC-Congress alliance are on the same page over the restoration of Article 370, Shah said Congress should be ashamed of itself.
“If they (NC-Congress alliance) return to power (in J&K), terrorism will come back,” he said and asserted terrorism will not be allowed to revive in the Union Territory.

‘BJP committed for development of J&K’

SURANKOTE: 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.

“This election is not only important for J-K but for the entire nation because this is for the first time that the polls are being held without two flags and two Constitutions post-independence,” he said, adding Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee had sacrificed his life for this.
“National Conference came out with a manifesto which was supported by Congress They are talking about reinstating the flag and restoration of Article 370, dialogue with Pakistan without finishing terrorism, resumption of LoC trade, release of stone-pelters and terrorists…do you agree?” he said.
He alleged that the NC manifesto also talks about renaming the two hillocks in Srinagar and revoking reservations.
“(Congress leader) Rahul Baba, whether you agree with the NC agenda or not, I will tell you that Article 370 has become history and cannot be restored.
“I also want to tell you that only one flag will remain in the country and that is our beloved tricolour,” he said at the rally in support of the BJP candidates — Mohan Lal, a retired police officer who recently joined BJP, and former MLA Rajeev Kumar.
Seeking votes for the BJP, he said it would boost the morale of youth, safeguard the rights of women and reservation for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, strengthen the future of India, and speed up the development in J-K.
Also, “the vote will be a befitting reply to Pakistan”, he said.
Earlier, addressing a rally at Mendhar, Shah said there is peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan fears Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would not dare to open fire knowing fully that India’s response will silence its guns.
Shah said the Centre wiped out terrorism by replacing guns and stones in the hands of youngsters with laptops and added the government would not allow gunfire to resonate in the hills of Jammu region.
“We will construct more bunkers along the borders for the safety of people. I want to remind you of cross-border firings in the 1990s… Is cross-border firing happening today?” Shah asked.
“It is because the earlier rulers here were frightened of Pakistan, but now Pakistan fears Modi. They would not dare to fire but if they did, they would be given a befitting reply,” he said at the election rally in Poonch district in support of BJP candidate Murtaza Khan.
He alleged that the three families of Gandhis, Abdullahs and Muftis pushed J-K into the fire of terrorism while the Modi-led government buried terrorism.
Accusing Congress of being “anti-Dalit”, he said the party never thought of honouring B R Ambedkar with the Bharat Ratna.
Highlighting various developmental works undertaken by the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir including the Akhnoor highway, he said the Centre has utilised over Rs 75,000 crore on developmental works in J-K over the past few years.
“I want to tell you that the Abduallhs will not be able to discriminate with Jammu region,” he said.
Addressing an election rally at Mendhar, the Union Home Minister said there is peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan fears Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would not dare to open fire knowing fully that India’s response will be befitting to silence its guns.
Seeking support for BJP candidate Murtaza Khan, Shah said the Centre wiped out terrorism by replacing guns and stones in the hands of youngsters with laptops and added the government would not allow guns to resonate in the hills of Jammu region.
“We will construct more bunkers along the borders for the safety of people. I want to remind you of cross-border firings in the 1990s… Is cross-border firing happening today?” Shah asked.
“It is because the earlier rulers here were frightened of Pakistan, but now Pakistan fears Modi. They would not dare to fire but if they did, they would be given a befitting reply,” he added.
Shah said that “terrorism erupted in 1990 and continued till 2014, claiming the lives of 40,000 people”.
“These three families failed to stop terrorism and instead encouraged it. The BJP and Modi put an end to terrorism and replaced the guns and stones in the hands of the youth with laptops,” he added.
Shah claimed that National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah is frightening people about revival of terrorism.
“I want to tell from here that despite your tutelage, Modi and Shah will not allow them to resonate in these beautiful hills again,” said Shah.
“Terrorism is of no benefit to anyone. Guns were handed over to our children and we too will be providing guns to Pahari youth by recruiting them in the police and army. For that we will held special recruitment drive on the borders,” he added.
Accusing the National Conference, Congress and PDP of encouraging terrorism, the senior BJP leader said this election will ensure an end to the three families rule in the Union Territory.
“It is necessary because these families never allowed the democracy to grow in J&K,” he said, adding had the BJP government not formed in 2014 and elections to different panchayat Raj Institutions held, the 30,000 elected panchayat members would have never got an opportunity but instead would have worked to further strengthen their ‘kingdom’.
The home minister said he is a person from Gujarat and had never thought of visiting Mendhar, which is just a few kilometers from the Line of Control.
“The people of the nation are proud and salute Paharis, Gujjars and Bakerwals who safeguarded the borders in 1947 and took bullets on their chest when terrorism erupted in 1990 because of the kindness of Farooq Abdullah, who fled to London to enjoy holiday,” he added.
Referring to the National Conference (NC) manifesto that they will review the reservation given to different communities, Shah said, “I want to assure you that we will allow them to touch the reservation under the scheduled tribe status to you. We will extend the reservation to promotion (avenues of the government employees).”