No talks with Pak, Assembly polls in J&K after electoral rolls are published: Amit Shah
Inaugurates, lays foundation stones of 240 dev projects worth Rs 2,000 Cr in Srinagar
STATE TIMES NEWS
Baramulla: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said assembly polls will be held with “full transparency” in Jammu and Kashmir after the Election Commission publishes the revised electoral rolls and asserted that the Modi government will wipe out terrorism from the Union territory.
Shah lashed out at those advocating dialogue with Pakistan.
At his first public rally in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Shah, in his 27-minute speech at Showkat Ali stadium in Baramulla district, trained his guns at leaders from opposition parties NC, PDP and Congress with frequent references to the “three families”, “Mufti and company” and “Abdullah and sons”.
Shah lashed out at those advocating dialogue with Pakistan.
“…I don’t want to talk to Pakistan but I want to talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
Urging the youths to shun the path of violence, Shah said terrorism has claimed 42,000 lives in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1990s and asked whether it has ever benefited anyone.
Amit Shah pauses speech after hearing ‘Azaan’, starts with Bharat Mata Ki Jai
Baramulla: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday briefly stopped his speech during a rally in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir as ‘Azaan’ or Muslim call to prayer was going on from a nearby mosque.
Five minutes into his about half-an-hour speech at Showkat Ali stadium in this North Kashmir district, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader paused and asked those on the stage “if something was going on at a mosque”?
When someone on the stage told him that ‘Azaan’ was going on, Shah stopped his speech, attracting a huge round of applause and chanting of slogans in his favour from the gathering.
After a brief moment, he said the call for prayer has now stopped and asked if he would continue his speech.
“Should I start or not? Say it loudly, should I start,” he asked and then went on with his speech.
As Shah arrived at the mammoth rally, “Har har Modi, Har ghar Modi” slogans reverberated the air. The minister walked up to the podium and bowed in acknowledgement to the cheers.
He started his speech that lasted for less than half-an-hour with Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and later walked up to the people and shook hands with them.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has almost ended the ecosystem of terrorism in J-K, Shah said, adding the Modi government does not tolerate terrorism and wants to wipe it out.
We want to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful place in the country, he said.
Shah said due to the improved security situation, 22 lakhs tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir this year so far.
Earlier it was a terrorist hotspot but today it is a tourist hotspot. Imagine how many people have benefited from this, he said.
He blamed the families of the Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the “lack of development” in Jammu and Kashmir as they ruled the erstwhile state for most of the years since the country’s independence.
Thousands throng rally, welcome announcement on reservation
Baramulla: Long queues with people jostling to enter through two narrow gates and excitement writ large on their faces, thousands flocked the Showkat Ali Stadium where Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a rally on Wednesday.
The highest turnout was from Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts in north Kashmir.
People walked up to the venue as vehicles were stopped at a distance from the stadium due to security considerations.
It was a long wait for the people to get in as the security personnel made sure to thoroughly frisk them.
At the venue, BJP supporters were seen dancing to the sounds of beating drums and blowing flutes.
In between, army helicopters made sorties and the crowd cheered “We are very excited to welcome the Home Minister to Baramulla. There is a lot of ‘josh’ (enthusiasm) among the people here,” Fayaz Khan, a resident of Kupwara said.
Toufeeq Ahmad, a resident of Karnah, told PTI, “We have so many hopes from the Home Minister’s visit. This is the government that does what it says.”
He welcomed the announcement on reservation made by Shah in Rajouri and said the people wanted to see it implemented soon.
“Our forefathers struggled for this. The announcement has brought a wave of happiness. But we want the home minister to implement this decision sooner,” Ahmad said.
A large number of women were also present at the rally and sought their grievances to be addressed.
Ruksana Bano, a resident of Baramulla, said, “There are many developmental issues which should be addressed on priority. We need proper water supply and electricity. There is price rise and unemployment. Our children need jobs”.
Many locals said the rally was arguably among the largest ones held in Baramulla so far.
There are some people who have ruled for the last 70 years and are advising me to talk to Pakistan but I have a clear mandate that I don’t want to talk to Pakistan, but I want to talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
On holding assembly polls, Shah said a political process has started in this regard.
I want to assure you that once the work of publishing electoral rolls by the Election Commission is completed, elections will be conducted with full transparency and your own elected representatives will govern here, he said.
Shah said some people often talk about Pakistan but he wanted to know how many villages in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have electricity connections.
We have ensured in the last three years that all villages in Kashmir now have electricity connection, he said.
Coming down heavily on the three political families for the second consecutive day, the home minister alleged that their rule was 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 alleged.
The Home Minister repeated what he had said at his rally in Rajouri on Tuesday that earlier, power in Jammu and Kashmir was with three families, 87 MLAs and six MPs.
Now 30,000 people, who were elected representatives of panchayat and districts councils, are part of the governance process, he said.
He said the first work done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that democracy has reached the grass root level.
Shah said due to Article 370, there was no reservation for the SCs and STs but after its abrogation, quota benefits could be given to Gujjars, Bakarwal and Pahadis.
Everyone will get their due share under the reservation. There will be no loss of share for anyone, he said.
On Tuesday, Shah announced that ST reservation benefits will be given to the Pahadi community along with Gujjar and Bakarwal communities following a recommendation of the Sharma Commission.
He said that Rs 56,000 crore investment has come to Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years which will give employment opportunities to five lakh people, while just Rs 17,000 crore investment had come since independence.
Today I have come to ask Farooq Abdullah Sahab and Mehooba Mufti ji to give an account of how much investment has come into Jammu and Kashmir during their rule of 70 years. How many industries had come up? How many factories were set up and how many youths benefited from employment,” Shah said.
The Home Minister said the Modi government has given one lakh houses to the poor in Jammu and Kashmir.
He alleged that rampant corruption led to underdevelopment in Jammu and Kashmir and said the Modi government has ensured that every rupee being spent goes to those most deserving.
The Home Minister said, Mehbooba ji and Farooq sahab handed over stones and guns to the youths but Modi ji, by bringing industries to the Valley, has handed over mobiles and laptops to these youths so that they are able to find employment, he said.
He said it was the third day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir and he was happy to see that development has taken place in the union territory.
Some days back, I read a tweet from Mehbooba Mufti in which she had asked me to give an ‘account’ of our work.
“Mehbooba Ji, keep your eyes and ears open. You along with Farooq (Abdullah) sahab should see what we have given and compare it with the rule of three families over the last 75 years, he said.
Shah said all states have an Anti-Corruption Bureau except Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the “three families” were responsible for stalling it.
I wonder why they did not allow it, he said.
Amit Shah said that 42,000 people have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, and all of them were children of the poor. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants that separatism and terrorism should end and Jammu and Kashmir should remain the paradise of India. He appealed to the people to annihilate terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir.
Amit Shah said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not tolerate terrorism at all. Be it the Valley or Jammu, Srinagar or Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the government is bringing all round development work everywhere. He appealed to the people to join the mainstream of the country and empower the process of development and move forward.
He advised people that if someone in their village supports terrorists, then they must be reasoned with and brought back into the mainstream because terror and terrorism cannot benefit Kashmir, only democracy, industrialization, AIIMS, IIM and IIT, can benefit Kashmir.
He said that during the rule of three families, the budget of Jammu and Kashmir was merely Rs. 132 crore, while in 2022-23, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi the budget has been increased from Rs. 132 crore to Rs. 1,515 crore. Rs.10 crore have been allotted separately for DDC and PDC. Shah said that five new degree colleges are also being opened in different areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the work of setting up a residential school with 100-bed capacity for Gurjar-Bakarwal girls of Baramulla has also been undertaken by the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A Government Medical College is also being set up in Baramulla, which will enable the children in the region to become doctors and help them serve the people of Kashmir. He said that only four medical colleges were built in Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 till 2014, whereas from 2014 till 2022 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India has built nine new medical colleges and 15 nursing colleges. Whereas earlier only 500 doctors used to pass out of Jammu and Kashmir, now 1,300 doctors will complete their studies and serve the country and Jammu and Kashmir. Shah said that AIIMS, NEET, B.Sc Nursing College and two Cancer Institutes have also been set up in Kashmir. New medical colleges have been set up at Anantnag and Baramulla and two cluster universities have been built in Jammu and Kashmir.
Amit Shah said that the expressway from Nangal to Baramulla and from Baramulla to Uri has been built at a cost of Rs. 850 crore. A 43-km road has been built connecting Baramulla to Gulmarg at a cost of Rs. 85 crore to help tourists travelling from Gulmarg to Baramulla. He said that over one lakh families are being brought under the ambit of education through a scheme of Rs. 847 crore. Two stadiums have been built in 402 panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir along with one playground in each panchayat. Additionally, two indoor stadiums are also being built at a cost of Rs. 10 crore. Shah said that in the month of September this year, 13 lakh tourists visited Gulmarg. He said that installation of power plants and irrigation projects worth thousands of crores of Rupees will bring prosperity to the valley of Kashmir. In order to improve the rail network, the work on rail link from Udhampur to Baramulla has been initiated. Under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana, 119 new roads worth Rs.,3167 crore have been built. The Union Home Minister said that under the Prime Minister’s Industrial Package, an investment of Rs. 56,000 crore has come from across the country in Kashmir, which is likely to provide employment to five lakh people.
Earlier, the Union Home also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 240 development projects of about Rs. 2,000 crore in Srinagar.
Amit Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several development projects worth crores of rupees in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir and addressed a public meeting in the region.
He said that the hills of Pir Panjal and Chenab and this region of Kashmir Valley are among the most beautiful areas of the world. The development ushered in Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Kashmir is clearly reflected through the happy faces of the people in the region. He said that earlier, the three families who used to rule in the region hardly worked for the development of the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed a huge task of ensuring that democracy reaches every village of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, the meaning of democracy in Kashmir was restricted within the three families, 87 MLAs and 6 MPs, but after August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has connected 30,000 people with democracy by taking it to the level of Panch, Sarpanch, BDC and Zilla Panchayat of the village. Earlier, due to corruption, the money of the poor was being misused, but now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ensuring that the money of the poor will reach the poor. He said, under the rule of three families, only Rs. 15,000 crore investment came in Jammu and Kashmir in 70 years, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, an investment of Rs. 56,000 crore has come in just three years.
