‘Don’t raise J&K history, you have a lot to answer for it’: Shah to Cong

Home minister Amit Shah stressed that Centre was not against the residents of the J&K but only against those seeking to divide the country. (HT Photo)

BJP president and Union home minister Amit Shah Friday tore into Congress for questioning government’s intent in seeking 6-month extension of the President’s rule in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah’s blistering attack came during the debate on the resolution for President’s rule in J&K. Amit Shah also tabled J&K Reservation Amendment Bill along with the resolution this morning. Both proposals--Shah’s first as home minister- were endorsed by the Lok Sabha late afternoon.

“Why was Jamaat-e-islami not banned earlier? Who did you want to please?” Shah asked while stating that the J&K situation was not of NDA’s making.

“Earlier governments used to protect anti-India voices, anybody making anti-India statements was given protection, he charged. The NDA government, he said had removed security cover from “919 such people”.

Watch: LS clears Amit Shah’s 1st bill, also extends President rule in J&K

In a pointed reply to Congress MP Manish Tewari, who traced the roots of militancy and democracy in J&K while opposing government’s resolution, Amit Shah said delving into history will not help Congress as the party had a “lot to answer for it.”

“The elections held in 1957, 1962 and 1967 were rigged” and sowed the seeds of “the mistrust” in democracy you talk about,” he said while replying to Tewari.

“The BJP didn’t kill democracy; our party didn’t even exist then. Real elections in Kashmir were only held under Morarji Desai government and later under Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.”

Shah said, Congress governments had used article 356, 93 out of the 132 times and the party had no business lecturing others.

Shah argued that the state was stabilizing under the current government after it was driven to the brink under previous administrations, “It was difficult to even unfurl a tricolor there before PM Modi went to the ‘Lal Chowk’.” Shah said

Hitting out at the suggestion that BJP-PDP rule in the state had resulted in the alienation of the Kashmiri population; Shah claimed that the NDA government’s welfare schemes and other initiatives had helped transform the lives of J&K residents.

He listed bloodless Panchayat & Lok Saba polls to claim Centre was succeeding in bringing the situation under control. Shah also listed several projects completed by the Central government for the welfare of the state.

“Almost 82% of the special package of Rs 80,000 crore announced by the Prime Minister in 2015 has been dispersed and 16 of its projects have even been completed.”

The home minister stressed that Centre was not against the residents of the J&K but against those seeking to divide the country.

“It was because of Narendra Modi government’s zero tolerance policy that India has been able to raid the heart of militancy and instill fear among India’s enemies”, Shah said indicating no let-up in the government’s muscular approach- which he said was reserved only for anti-nationals.

Congress parliamentary party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in a parting shot alleged that “the stream of security personnel’s bodies draped in Indian tri-colour” exposed lacuna in government’s approach.

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