Shah warns terror promoters of Afzal Guru's fate
Amit Shah warns terror supporters of dire consequences, promises a terror-free J&K, criticises NC and Congress leadership
By : Yusuf Jameel
Update: 2024-09-26 12:19 GMT
Srinagar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday warned the “promoters of terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond that they will meet the fate of the Parliament attack convict Muhammad Afzal Guru. Guru, a resident of Doabgah suburb of J&K’s north-western town of Sopore, who was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013.
Shah, reacting to former CM and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s recent assertion that Guru’s hanging served no purpose, asked: “Phir kya biryani khilani thi usko”? He added: “Those who will promote terrorism will meet the same fate as that of Afzal Guru.”
Abdullah had earlier this month said in an interview: “The unfortunate thing was that the J&K government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru’s execution. Otherwise, you would have had to do it with the permission of the state government, which I can tell you in no uncertain terms would not have been forthcoming. We wouldn't have done it. I don't believe that any purpose was served by executing him.” Abdullah was the chief minister of the erstwhile J&K state when Guru was sent to the gallows.
The home minister, addressing a series of BJP election rallies in the Jammu region, said terrorism has been buried so deep in J&K that it will not grow again and that Article 370, that he said stirred terrorism and violence and encouraged separatist elements to grow, was now history and will never be a part of India's Constitution again.
“The NC and Rahul Baba are making claims about the restoration of Article 370, but the generations of Rahul won’t have powers to restore the provision again. The Narendra Modi government fulfilled the dream of Syama Prasad Mookerjee when it abrogated Article 370. It will never come back,” Mr Shah said.
He said: “I also heard Rahul and Omar saying they will bring J&K’s statehood back. But didn’t I, after the abrogation of Article 370, promise the restoration of statehood will take place after the Assembly elections in J&K? Prime Minister Narendra Modiji too has made it clear it will be restored”. He added: “Statehood will be restored through Parliament and it is Modiji who is heading the government. Only he can restore it.”
The home minister said: “If the BJP is voted to power in J&K, we promise it will be a completely terror-free region. The NC-Congress alliance would impose Pakistan’s agenda if it came to power here”. He added that the combine wants to release “stone-pelters and terrorists”, but “I want to tell Omar Abdullah to give up these dreams because you cannot do it. It is the duty of the courts, and we have enforced such laws that nobody will dare to hurl a stone anymore.”
Shah, once again, chided the Congress, NC and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for “promoting terrorism” during their rule in J&K. “During their misrule, they plagued J&K with terrorism which led to the killing of 40,000 people and 3,000 days of curfews. Bombings, shootings and other incidents of terrorism had become a daily routine. But after Modiji took over as Prime Minister, bullets and stone-pelting vanished”, he said. He added: “These three parties want to revive the terrorism in J&K, but I want to tell Omar Abdullah that whatever may be your wish, nobody will dare to revive terrorism in J&K as there is Modiji’s government at the Centre.”
He said that as a peace dividend millions of tourists are now visiting J&K and massive development is taking place. “Srinagar’s city centre Lal Chowk gives a splendid view and has become a vibrant destination for domestic and foreign tourists. The tricolour is being hoisted there. Muharram is being observed in the Valley in traditional way, Ganpati and Janmashtami festivals are being celebrated at ease,” he said.
Shah, reacting to former CM and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s recent assertion that Guru’s hanging served no purpose, asked: “Phir kya biryani khilani thi usko”? He added: “Those who will promote terrorism will meet the same fate as that of Afzal Guru.”
Abdullah had earlier this month said in an interview: “The unfortunate thing was that the J&K government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru’s execution. Otherwise, you would have had to do it with the permission of the state government, which I can tell you in no uncertain terms would not have been forthcoming. We wouldn't have done it. I don't believe that any purpose was served by executing him.” Abdullah was the chief minister of the erstwhile J&K state when Guru was sent to the gallows.
The home minister, addressing a series of BJP election rallies in the Jammu region, said terrorism has been buried so deep in J&K that it will not grow again and that Article 370, that he said stirred terrorism and violence and encouraged separatist elements to grow, was now history and will never be a part of India's Constitution again.
“The NC and Rahul Baba are making claims about the restoration of Article 370, but the generations of Rahul won’t have powers to restore the provision again. The Narendra Modi government fulfilled the dream of Syama Prasad Mookerjee when it abrogated Article 370. It will never come back,” Mr Shah said.
He said: “I also heard Rahul and Omar saying they will bring J&K’s statehood back. But didn’t I, after the abrogation of Article 370, promise the restoration of statehood will take place after the Assembly elections in J&K? Prime Minister Narendra Modiji too has made it clear it will be restored”. He added: “Statehood will be restored through Parliament and it is Modiji who is heading the government. Only he can restore it.”
The home minister said: “If the BJP is voted to power in J&K, we promise it will be a completely terror-free region. The NC-Congress alliance would impose Pakistan’s agenda if it came to power here”. He added that the combine wants to release “stone-pelters and terrorists”, but “I want to tell Omar Abdullah to give up these dreams because you cannot do it. It is the duty of the courts, and we have enforced such laws that nobody will dare to hurl a stone anymore.”
Shah, once again, chided the Congress, NC and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for “promoting terrorism” during their rule in J&K. “During their misrule, they plagued J&K with terrorism which led to the killing of 40,000 people and 3,000 days of curfews. Bombings, shootings and other incidents of terrorism had become a daily routine. But after Modiji took over as Prime Minister, bullets and stone-pelting vanished”, he said. He added: “These three parties want to revive the terrorism in J&K, but I want to tell Omar Abdullah that whatever may be your wish, nobody will dare to revive terrorism in J&K as there is Modiji’s government at the Centre.”
He said that as a peace dividend millions of tourists are now visiting J&K and massive development is taking place. “Srinagar’s city centre Lal Chowk gives a splendid view and has become a vibrant destination for domestic and foreign tourists. The tricolour is being hoisted there. Muharram is being observed in the Valley in traditional way, Ganpati and Janmashtami festivals are being celebrated at ease,” he said.