india

Updated: Nov 01, 2019 03:23 IST

Union home minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday said Article 370 and Article 35A were the gateway of terrorism into Jammu and Kashmir and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “closed this gate” by effectively repealing them.

“Article 370 and 35A became a problem in this integration process and no one touched on these subjects. The unfulfilled dream of [Sardar Vallabhbhai] Patel was realised on August 5 when these two were repealed and the full integration of J&K with the Union of India was completed,” he said while flagging off a run to commemorate the 144th birth anniversary of Patel.

Shah, who moved the resolution for nullification of Article 370 and Article 35A in both Houses of Parliament in August, said when India attained independence, there were more than 550 princely states. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi had entrusted Patel the task of integrating the princely states into the Union of India which he completed with distinction, he said. But one thing remained to be completed and that was the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union of India, he added.

Shah said the decision to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A was taken after the Narendra Modi government got a massive mandate in the general elections.

Patel did not get the respect he deserved, Shah said. Patel was not given Bharat Ratna for many years, his proper statue was not installed, he alleged. When Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat, Shah said, he (Modi) started the process of giving due honour to Patel. Referring to the ‘Statue of Unity’ of Patel located in Gujarat’s Kevadia, he said Modi sourced iron pieces from the farmers, soil from every village of Gujarat and water from various rivers to pay a humble tribute to the man who unified India.

In his address, Shah also remembered former PM Indira Gandhi as October 31 is her death anniversary. Shah flagged off the ‘Run for Unity’ in the presence of Union ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Hardeep Singh Puri, R K Singh and Kiren Rijiju, among others.