"No power can talk about autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir":Amit Shah in Jammu and Kashmir

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir and asserted ahead of the Assembly elections that “no power” can talk about autonomy there.

The Home Minister also took aim at the opposition parties, accusing the Congress, the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti's PDP of looting the erstwhile state and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not to mislead the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing BJP workers in Palauru, Jammu on Saturday, Mr Shah referred to the scrapping of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and said the upcoming elections were historic as it would be the first time that voters in J&K would cast their votes not under two flags, but under a single tricolour and under a single Constitution.

“They (Opposition parties) say they want to talk to Pakistan. Let me tell you that till there is peace, there will be no talks with Pakistan… Three families – Congress, Abdullah family of the National Conference and Mufti family of the PDP – want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to the era of corruption. They say they will restore the old order… They talk about getting autonomy back, let me categorically state that no power can talk about autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir,” the minister said in Hindi.

Pointing out that Rahul Gandhi and the National Conference had promised restoration of statehood (Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories, including Ladakh, when Article 370 was abrogated in 2019), Mr Shah said, “I want to ask Rahul Dad and Abdullah Saturday“How will you restore statehood? Stop fooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir… this can only be done by the Union government and PM Modi.”

“I have already said that Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood at the right time after the elections. I have said this in Parliament. They are asking for something which we have already given. Have you seen anything like this before?” he asked.

Accusing previous governments of turning a blind eye to terrorism, Shah said that in the 10 years under PM Modi, the BJP has worked to reduce terrorism by 70 per cent and has also taken on terrorists. He cited the success of the Amarnath yatra and reopening of theatres as proof of this and said that terrorism will resurface if the Congress and the National Conference, which are contesting elections in an alliance, come back to power in Jammu and Kashmir.