SRINAGAR: Home Minister, Amit Shah, on Sunday said that the Kashmiri separatist militants, stone-pelters and others who harmed the nation and the people of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir will not be released from jail.
While addressing a BJP election rally in the border town of Nowshera where BJP’s J&K unit chief Ravinder Raina is seeking election to the Assembly, the Home Minister also, once again, ruled out holding dialogue with Pakistan “unless and until terrorism unleashed from its soil is stopped.”
Mr. Shah said, “The National Conference (NC) is promising to release terrorists and stone pelters from jail. They do it to for their own gain. But let me tell them Narendra Modiji and his government will bury terrorism in pataal (below the earth). No terrorist or stone-pelter who harmed the people will be released.”
He, once again, accused the successive government of the Congress, the NC and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of stoking unrest in J&K and robbing its people of their rights. “The abrogation of Article 370 and other steps taken by the government set out a new era of peace and development and these parties want to push J&K back into darkness again. Farooq Abdullah says he will bring Article 370 back, but I can assure you that no one on earth can do it,” he said.
Ruling out the possibility of the resumption of talks with Pakistan, the Home Minister said, “We will not talk to them until and unless terrorism unleased on India from their soil ends. These parties (NC and PDP) also want to restore the cross-LoC trade and bring terrorism back into J&K through it, but we will never allow it.” He added, “We will talk with our own youth here in J&K, our own lions.”
He reiterated that former Chief Minister and NC president Farooq Abdullah was enjoying life with his family in London when Kashmir Valley was caught in mayhem in the early 1990s. “Kashmir was burning and the blood of innocents was being spilled on daily basis, but Farooq Abdullah was enjoying life in London. He neglected Kashmir and its people during its darkest times,” he said.
“For three decades, terrorism thrived here, curfews were imposed, and 40,000 people were killed. But under Modiji, we have destroyed the terror network in J&K and the Indian flag will now always fly high in Kashmir,” he said. He added the BJP-led government at the Centre has also ensured peace along the borders, thereby ensuring safety of the border-dwellers. “Now there is no need for community bunkers in the border areas because Pakistan will not dare to fire a single bullet,” he said, adding, “If a bullet is fired from across the border, we will respond by detonating our artillery.”
He asked the people to vote in favour of the BJP in the Assembly elections so that it forms a government of its own in J&K and continues to work for peace and development and teach terrorists and Pakistan a lesson. “The BJP government is a must in J&K for peace, prosperity and development besides giving a befitting reply to terrorism and teaching a lesson to Pakistan,” he said.
Targeting the NC-Congress alliance, the Home Minister said, “Let October 8 come. Inn ki bolti band hojaye gi (they will be at a loss for words). The so-called ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukan’ will be shut.” He also slammed the NC-Congress leaders’ remarks on reservation, and said nobody will be allowed to touch reservation given to the deprived sections, including Paharis, Gujjars, Dalits, other backward classes.
