Union Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah addresses a rally in Naushera, Jammu and Kashmir, Sunday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday declared that New Delhi will not engage in any dialogue with Pakistan until terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is completely eradicated.
Speaking at a rally in Nowshera, Rajouri, during his three-day visit to bolster support for BJP candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections, Shah emphasized that no stone pelters or terrorists would be released in the Union Territory post-government formation.
The Home Minister criticized the National Conference-Congress alliance for promising to release such individuals, saying, “This is Modi’s government, and we will bury terrorism deep underground.”
“(NC president) Farooq Abdullah is talking about revival of terrorism in Jammu hills but I want to tell them that this is the Modi government and we will bury terrorism in ‘patal’ (deep inside earth). No terrorist or stone pelter will be released,” Shah Minister asserted and added that the NC and Congress were batting for talks with Pakistan.
“I want to tell Farooq Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi that there will be no dialogue with Pakistan till terrorism is wiped out. I will talk with my lions (youth of J&K) and not with Pakistan,” Shah said.
Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been vocally bullish about their stance on dialogue with Pakistan. The Home Minister reiterated the BJP's strong stance against the revival of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
He dismissed Abdullah's claims of restoring Article 370, saying, “No one can bring back Article 370. We don’t need bunkers anymore because no one dares to fire at us. 'Agar wahan se goli aayi to goli ka jawab gole se diya jayega' (if Pakistan fires a bullet, we will respond with a shell),” he asserted.
Additionally, Shah accused the Congress, NC, and PDP of denying hill communities their rights to reservation, countering Rahul Gandhi’s remarks made in the U.S. about the need for such policies.
He assured the tribal Gujjar-Bakerwal community that their reservation would not be diminished, reaffirming the BJP's commitment to their rights. “I promised in Rajouri that their reservation will not be reduced, and we have kept that promise,” he concluded.
Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.