Lok Sabha Elections 2019: No option but to abolish Articles 370, 35A if someone talks of separate PM, says Rajnath Singh

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Updated: Apr 09, 2019 08:59 IST

Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said, “If voices of separate Prime Minister are raised then we will also have no option than to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A”.

His reaction came a week after National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah had said that his party will strive hard for restoring the autonomy of J&K that could include having a ‘Sadar-e-Riyasat’ (President) and ‘Wazir-e-Azam’ (Prime Minister).

Addressing a rally close to the international border here, Singh said, “J&K today is in debate not in India but across the world because of a terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost life in Pulwama and then how India struck a terror camp in Balakot inside Pakistan.”

“I feel sad and surprised as well. Someone who was J&K CM now says that the state should have its own PM.

I would like to ask the Congress and other parties about their stand on the statement of this gentleman (Omar Abdullah). Do they also want two prime ministers in the country?,” he said. Singh said that the BJP government has zero tolerance policy towards terrorism but ‘if someone wants to talk we are ready for it’.

He said that as the home minister he visited Kashmir on several occasions “with open arms” for talks but separatists refused to hold a dialogue.

“I even asked the then CM (Mehbooba Mufti) to talk to them and bring them on board. In a democracy, dialogue can be a solution to many problems but they were not ready for talks,” he said.

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Singh said that considering the future of the children of Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP government decided that those involved in minor incidents of stone pelting are given amnesty.

“The BJP-PDP government had given amnesty to 9,000 youth and they say that Jammu and Kashmir should have a separate Prime Minister. The leaders of the state should decide what they exactly want,” he said.

He said that Jammu and Kashmir gets optimum central assistance unlike other states because the Bharatiya Janata Party wants it to be a developed state. Singh lashed out at separatists for instigating highly talented youth by giving them money for indulging in stone pelting.

“There can be no bigger crime than instigating innocent youth for stone pelting,” he said.

He also said that the people on border were strategic assets of India and the BJP government did its best to mitigate their suffering and will keep doing so.

“A compensation to cattle per head killed in Pakistan shelling was hiked to ₹50,000 each from ₹3,000 to ₹4, 000, extension of Line of Control benefits of 3% reservation to villagers living close to international border were also given by the party,” Singh said.

“We have started construction work of bunkers near the borders. We can do anything for the prosperity and development of the state. We recently banned two organisaitons (JeI and JKLF). The drive will continue,” he said.