Blaming late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the creation of Pak-Occupied Kashmir (POK), Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday exhorted voters of Maharashtra to “show the place” they deserved to political parties opposing the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, in the State Assembly polls.
Launching the BJP’s campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly polls at a party workers’ rally held at Nesco ground at Goregaon in north Mumbai, Shah laid the blame for the creation of the POK at the door of the then Prime Minister Nehru. “Maharaj Hari Singh ceded Kashmir to India on October 26, 1947. On the following, Indian forces began to de-throw and capture areas under Kashmir. One fine day, Nehru declared ceasefire with Pakistan-supported forces. POK would not have come into existence had Nehru not declared ceasefire at that time. It’s because of Nehru’s blunder, we have POK now,” the BJP president said.
“Later on January 1, 1948 India approached the United Nations. Had India invoked charter 51 instead of charter 35, POK would have been part of India. But India invoked charter 35 which is meant for disputes. And the POK came to be declared as disputed territory,” Shah said.
Charging that the Congress and its ally NCP were “shamelessly” opposing the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Shah said: “ I have come here to appeal to see for yourself who is in favour of the annulment of Article 370 and who is against it. There are two major political formations in the fray.
One political formation owes its allegiance to Bharat Mata i.e., BJP and its allies, while the other formation -- Congress and NCP -- believes dynastic politics. The voters have to chsose between these two political formations”.
Making the abrogation of Article 370 main plank in the elections, Shah said: “As a leader and president of BJP, I have come to you with an appeal. Maharashtra is a land of Chhtrapati Shivaji. It was on this land that freedom struggle began. The fight against Moghuls started here. At the time when the elections are happening, the people of Maharashtra should decide and show the people they deserve to the political parties opposing the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution”
Taking a strong exception to Congress’ former president Rahul Gandhi’s statement that abrogation of Article 370 was a political issue, Shah said: “We have been fighting for this issue since the Jan Sangh days. Bharatiya Jan Sangh’s first president Shyama Prasad Mukherjee made the first sacrifice for Kashmir. We have been fighting for Kashmir since then. Rahul baba says that Article 370 is a political issue. Let me tell that three generations of our party since our Jan Sangh days have been fighting for the abrogation of Article 370. Rahulbabu, for you it may be a political issue, but for us the removal of Article 370 is not a political issue but an issue that is needed for uniting and integrating India”.
Expressing confidence that the BJP-led NDA government would return to power with three-fourth of majority in the Assembly polls, Shah said: “When I say that our victory is a foregone conclusion, I do so with on some basis. I am saying this on the basis of the manner in which chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ran his government in Maharashtra, the Modi government performed at the Centre during the last five years. Through their mandate given in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the people have made public their intention that Devendra Fadnavis will become the chief minister once again in Maharashtra”.
In some other part of his 30-minute speech, Shah heaped praise on Fadnavis and said: “Our Devendra Fadnavis has given a given a corruption-free government. Devendraji has given a development-oriented government. He has increased honour of Maharashtra. He has brought back Maharashtra to top position in the country. In the field of education, he has brought the state to 3rd position from 17th position. In terms of investment, he has brought the state to second position in the country. The agriculture growth rate has also increased substantially. Even on the corruption elimination front, Devendra has done between the Congress and NCP”.
Shah said that more than the performance of the Devendra Fandnavis government, the voters of the state had to choose between the forces that were with the government in its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and those who opposed it.
Shah, who was briefing the party workers on the issues relating to abrogation of Article 37o, said that the Jammu & Kashmir-based job aspirants from the SCs STs and OBCs would benefit from the abrogation of Article 370.
He said that the annulment of Article 370 of the Constitution would contribute to eliminating corruption in the valley state, where the State had lost a staggering Rs 2,27,000 lakh crore owing to the lack of anti-corruption bureau there.
Dismissing criticism of the criticism about the alarming situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said: “No bullet has been fired between August 5 and September 22. No life has been lost. He asked the critics with “political agenda” as to why they scaring people through a false propaganda. “After the abrogation of Article 370, the people are living peacefully in Kashmir. The prohibitory orders have been lifted in all but two places. Ninety nine per cent of land lines have started working. Fifty seven per cent mobile phones are working. Curfew has been lifted from most places. Business is going on as usual in Kashmir”.
