Rahul, Farooq cannot restore statehood to J&K, befooling people: Amit Shah

Jammu, Sep 07: Going full-throttle against Congress-National Conference leadership, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday asked how Rahul Gandhi and Dr Farooq Abdullah would restore statehood to J&K, which they promised to befool its (J&K’s) people.

Asserting that only the Centre could restore it, Shah reiterated that he, himself, had committed it on the floor of Parliament to give full-fledged status of “state” to J&K after Assembly elections “at an appropriate time.”

The Union Home Minister also asserted that there would be no talks with Pakistan till peace was there in J&K.

He was addressing BJP booth-workers’ rally here in Jammu, while winding up his two-day election tour to Jammu.

He questioned Rahul Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah as to how they planned to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s state status.

“Only the central government can grant statehood, why are they deceiving the people of Jammu and Kashmir? This responsibility can only be fulfilled by the central government and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central government will restore Jammu and Kashmir’s status as a state, as announced in Parliament after the elections, at an appropriate time,” he said.

Shah stated that Congress and the National Conference were demanding something that the BJP had already conceded and pledged in the Parliament.

“NC-Congress alliance wanted to release separatists and terrorist sympathisers to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir. NC-Cong and PDP want to push Jammu and Kashmir into the fire of terrorism. Kashmir bore the brunt of terrorism for decades. They also aim to release individuals involved in stone-pelting and terrorism, threatening the peace that the Jammu region now enjoys,” he said.

Shah stated that when PM Narendra Modi’s government took office, those who funded terrorism were sent to jail.

“In contrast, the National Conference and Congress are discussing restarting LoC trade, which would directly benefit terrorism. They talk about negotiations with Pakistan, but let it be clear - there will be no talks until there is peace,” Shah said.

“They also want to rename Shankaracharya Hill as 'Takh-e-Suleman.' Congress, NC's Abdullah family, and PDP's Mufti family have looted crores of rupees. They claim they will restore the old system. Autonomy talks have devastated Jammu and Kashmir, with 40,000 lives lost in the valley. Today, I say that no one has the power to discuss autonomy,” Shah said.