Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Sunday that the central government would not engage in any dialogue with Pakistan until terrorism is completely eradicated. Speaking at an election rally in Nowshera ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Shah also rejected opposition demands, including those from the National Conference and Congress, to restore Article 370 in the region.
“Farooq Abdullah claims they will bring back Article 370. Farooq Sahab, no one can restore Article 370. There’s no need for bunkers anymore because no one dares to fire bullets. ‘If bullets come from there, we’ll respond with shells.’ They also want to bring back Sheikh Abdullah’s flag, but only our tricolour will fly in Jammu and Kashmir. For 30 years, terrorism plagued Jammu and Kashmir, with 40,000 lives lost and curfews imposed for 3,000 days. Where was Farooq Sahab then? Let me tell you, when Kashmir was burning, Farooq Sahib was on holiday in London,” Shah remarked.
“They want us to have talks with Pakistan, but let me be clear: there will be no talks with Pakistan until terrorism is eradicated. They want to release terrorists from jail. Under Modiji, we have eliminated terrorists one by one. BJP assures you, no terrorist or stone pelter will be freed in Jammu and Kashmir!” Shah added.
Addressing the issue of reservations, Shah criticized the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for depriving people living in hilly regions of their rights. He credited Prime Minister Modi for ensuring that reservations were provided.
“Congress and NC say they will reconsider reservations for the hill people, tribals, Dalits, and OBC communities. Rahul Gandhi even went to America and said they don’t need reservations anymore. But we won’t let that happen. For 70 years, the Congress, NC, and PDP denied reservation rights to hill people. Modiji ensured that reservations were granted, no matter what the opposition says,” Shah said.
“When the hill people received reservations, Farooq Sahab tried to provoke the Gujjar brothers, claiming their reservation would be taken away. I promised in Rajouri that the Gujjar Bakarwals’ reservation wouldn’t be reduced by even one percent, and we kept that promise,” he emphasized.
The first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir concluded on September 18, with a voter turnout of 61.13% across 24 constituencies in seven districts, according to the Election Commission. The second and third phases of voting will take place on September 25 and October 5, respectively, with vote counting scheduled for October 8, alongside the Haryana election results.