Borders peaceful as Pak fears PM Modi: Amit Shah
Promises that BJP is committed for development of JK
Mendhar/ Surankote: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said there is peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan fears Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would not dare to open fire knowing fully that India’s response will be befitting to silence its guns.
Addressing an election rally in this border area in the Union territory’s Poonch district in support of BJP candidate Murtaza Khan, Shah said the Centre wiped out terrorism by replacing guns and stones in the hands of youngsters with laptops and added the government would not allow guns to resonate in the hills of Jammu region.
“We will construct more bunkers along the borders for the safety of people. I want to remind you of cross-border firings in the 1990s… Is cross-border firing happening today?” Shah asked.
“It is because the earlier rulers here were frightened of Pakistan, but now Pakistan fears Modi. They would not dare to fire but if they did, they would be given a befitting reply,” he added.
Shah said that “terrorism erupted in 1990 and continued till 2014, claiming the lives of 40,000 people”.
“These three families failed to stop terrorism and instead encouraged it. The BJP and Modi put an end to terrorism and replaced the guns and stones in the hands of the youth with laptops,” he added.
Shah claimed that National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah is frightening people about revival of terrorism.
“I want to tell from here that despite your tutelage, Modi and Shah will not allow them to resonate in these beautiful hills again,” said Shah.
“Terrorism is of no benefit to anyone. Guns were handed over to our children and we too will be providing guns to Pahari youth by recruiting them in the police and army. For that we will held special recruitment drive on the borders,” he added.
Accusing the National Conference, Congress and PDP of encouraging terrorism, the senior BJP leader said this election will ensure an end to the three families rule in the Union Territory.
“It is necessary because these families never allowed the democracy to grow in J&K,” he said, adding had the BJP government not formed in 2014 and elections to different panchayat Raj Institutions held, the 30,000 elected panchayat members would have never got an opportunity but instead would have worked to further strengthen their ‘kingdom’.
The home minister said he is a person from Gujarat and had never thought of visiting Mendhar, which is just a few kilometers from the Line of Control.
“The people of the nation are proud and salute Paharis, Gujjars and Bakerwals who safeguarded the borders in 1947 and took bullets on their chest when terrorism erupted in 1990 because of the kindness of Farooq Abdullah, who fled to London to enjoy holiday,” he added.
Referring to the National Conference (NC) manifesto that they will review the reservation given to different communities, Shah said, “I want to assure you that we will allow them to touch the reservation under the scheduled tribe status to you. We will extend the reservation to promotion (avenues of the government employees).”
The senior BJP leader, who reached Jammu on a three-day election campaign on Friday evening, is scheduled to address four more election rallies in Surankote in Poonch, Thanamandi and Rajouri in Rajouri district and Akhnoor in Jammu district during the day.
The assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are taking place for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh — in August 2019.
The first phase of polling was held on September 18. The second phase will be held on September 25 followed by the third and final phase on October 1. The election results will be declared on October 8.
Addressing an election rally in Surankote town of Poonch district, Shah lashed out at the National Conference, Congress and PDP for the spread of terrorism and said that money pumped into Jammu and Kashmir for the welfare of people over the years was utilized to fight the menace.
“The first phase of the assembly election is over. Be sure, Farooq (Abdullah of the NC) and Mehbooba (Mufti of the PDP) are not forming the next government. They kept the youth ‘majboor’ (compelled) but we want our youth to become ‘mazboot’ (strong),” said Shah.
“They handed over machine guns and stones in the hands of the youth instead of books and laptops. We will also provide the youth with guns but not to spread terror. We will hold special recruitment drives (for border youth). The youth, who were holding guns for terrorism, will safeguard the country and will take on Pakistan,” he added.
Seeking votes for BJP candidate and former minister Syed Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, who joined the saffron party in February after his Pahari community was granted the Scheduled Tribe status, Shah said, “We are committed to the development of J&K. Enough already, now is the time for development.”
“I want to ask the Congress and the NC which governed J&K for decades, leading to the eruption of terrorism that consumed 40,000 lives and closed the valley for 3,000 days and shrouded J&K into darkness. These parties are responsible for all this,” he added.
Shah said that terrorism was wiped out and nobody will be allowed to revive the menace.
“The development in J&K was hit for the last 35 years. Crores of rupees pumped into the region for the welfare of the people was utilized fighting terrorism,” he said, adding “the BJP is working for the welfare of people and Modi’s ‘dil aur jolee’ is very big and we will take Jammu and Kashmir to new heights of development, peace and prosperity”.
The senior BJP leader said over two crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir last year.
“The number is more than the tourists, who visited J&K during the rule of Farooq Abdullah,” he added.
Alleging discrimination with Poonch by the previous governments to tap the tourism potential of the area, Shah said there is snowfall and beautiful locations in Surankote but why people only prefer Pahalgam (hill resort in south Kashmir) and nobody is visiting this place.
“We will fully tap the tourism potential of the area which is your right,” he added.
The home minister also lashed out at the National Conference over its poll promise of reviewing the reservation and said nobody will be allowed to touch the reservation granted to various communities, especially Pahari, Gujjars and Bakerwals.
“National Conference opposed the bill introduced in the Parliament for ST status to Paharis and also tried to provoke Gujjars. I came here and assured the Gujjars that granting ST status to Paharis will have no impact on their reservation and we kept our promise,” he added.
Shah said that he has been in politics for 40 years and has come across many big leaders but Bukhari never sought anything for himself.
“Bukhari led a delegation of the Pahari community on December 16, 2019 to my residence and raised the demand of Pahari status,” he said, asking the people to vote him in large numbers to make him their legislator.
