Jammu, May 3: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has used majority to abrogate Article 370 in J&K and establish peace in Kashmir.
Pointing out that the party has not yet decided to contest election in Kashmir, he, however, has exuded confidence that the party will repeat its performance in J&K in the parliamentary polls.
In an interview with News 18 Network on May 2, Shah has also reiterated that Article 370 has become a history following its abrogation and cannot come back as long as a single BJP MP is there in the Parliament.
Stoutly countering the accusation of opposition that BJP, after getting 400 seats, will alter the Constitution to tinker with reservation, the Union Home Minister has asserted that they (BJP), despite having been in majority for the last ten years, have not done anything to end reservation.
While responding to a direct query if the party would contest election from Kashmir, in the wake of his recent statement that the party wanted to win the hearts of people there (in Kashmir), Shah said, “The party has not taken a decision on it yet. The party will take a call. Though conventionally, from Jammu, we always contest elections.”
Reference was to his (Shah’s) statement during his Jammu election rally on April 16 where he maintained that the party wanted to “win hearts of people in Valley and not to capture it thus it was not in a hurry to see lotus blooming in Kashmir which eventually would happen with people’s love and affection.”
Later, BJP announced not to contest Lok Sabha elections from Kashmir. The party did not field its candidates from any of three LS seats from Kashmir. In the same breath, it also announced support to candidates from “nationalist” parties though no names were mentioned. Party has contested from two seats of Jammu region. It has also filed nomination from Ladakh parliamentary seat. Nomination process for all three seats of Kashmir including Anantnag-Rajouri seat, for which poll-date has been rescheduled is over.
Assembly elections in J&K are due after parliamentary elections. Presumably, the party, now, has to take a call for assembly elections as to whether it will contest from Kashmir or wait until the electoral tide turns in its favour.
With regard to queries about the party’s anticipated performance in 2024 parliamentary polls in different states where it had performed exceptionally well in 2019, the Union Home Minister stated that the party would repeat its performance in Jammu and Kashmir besides Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka. He said that result would be more or less same in Maharashtra, while the party would be able to increase its tally in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Assam and West Bengal.
In 2019 elections, BJP had won three seats out of total six, from erstwhile J&K state, which included Ladakh as well. BJP had retained both seats from Jammu region and one from Ladakh.
Shah dismissed the claims of opposition, including those of Congress leaders like P Chidambaram that they would restore Article 370 and repeal Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as a “ploy to procure votes of minorities.”
“Neither will they come to power nor will Article 370 be restored. Similarly, CAA will not be repealed ever. They (opposition) are aware of this. But they want to appease minorities using this rhetoric to fleece their votes and that’s why they are spreading canards. But through this interview, I want to clarify to the people of this country that as long as BJP has even a single MP in the Parliament, Article 370 cannot be restored and CAA cannot be repealed. Mind it, Article 370 has become a history and CAA has turned into a reality now,” Shah asserted.
Was it then a fake narrative, being built that BJP would tinker with the Constitution to end reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs, if it won over 400 seats, Shah’s response to this question was, “We have been in majority for the last ten years. Had we intended to bring changes in the Constitution we would have done as the people had given Prime Minister Narendra Modi a mandate for so. But what we did – we did not make any attempt to repeal reservation. We used this majority mandate to abrogate Article 370; repeal Triple Talaq; bring Uniform Civil Code (UCC); amend the obsolete laws of the British (era) and establish peace in Kashmir. We had the right to amend the constitution during the last ten years but we did not misuse it.”
At this point, taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said that he (Rahul) was following his rule i.e., to spread lies; amplify lies through noise and then continue to repeat lies.
Regarding electoral issues for BJP in 2024, the Union Home Minister said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his visionary leadership had built trust among the people.
“When he (PM) says that the country can and will become number 1 in the world, people believe him as they have seen him performing and also effectively fighting to save the country during the Corona pandemic. 130 Cr people have reposed their trust in him. Whether it is higher education; new economic policy; Ram Janmabhoomi; abrogation of Article 370; repeal of Triple Talaq; bringing UCC or changes in the criminal laws, these ten years will be written in golden letters,” he said.
Describing terrorism and naxalism as major scourges for democracy and development, Shah said that these issues were addressed to a great extent; borders of the country were strengthened and the economy, which was in shambles, also improved during the last ten years.
“I’m confident that after Modiji becomes the Prime Minister for the third time, the country will be completely free from Naxalism within one or two years. India, under his leadership, will scale new heights in the areas, which are going to determine the fate of the world’s economy during the next 25 years, as a strong foundation has already been laid during the last ten years,” he said.
In response to a question related to BJP’s slogan “Ab Ke Baar, 400 Paar” for 2024 elections, Shah said that NDA would definitely cross 400 and the country would have Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister for the third time.
He also accused the Congress of taking the country back to the politics of appeasement, ended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it (Congress) did not have the confidence to win.
“As a part of its appeasement policy, Congress was giving reservation on religion basis at the cost of SCs, STs and OBCs,” he said.
While referring to his “deep-fake” video on reservation, Shah also targetted Rahul Gandhi for “bringing down the politics to an unprecedented level” by “promoting lies” and culture of “chaos and boycott in the Parliament to run away from debates.”
On “Revanna episode” in Karnataka, the Union Home Minister said that BJP, in unambiguous terms, had demanded strictest action in the matter. Regarding the Neha Hiremath case, he stated that it was “definitely a case of love-jihad.”
Ridiculing the entire opposition’s “propaganda about EVMs” and Aam Aadmi Party’s accusations against BJP and its leadership, Shah said that during 2024 elections, the people would have to decide between a person, who would protect the nation and those who would put the country at stake for votes.