Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully eradicated terrorism and Naxalism from India, adding that Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will never be reinstated.
Addressing a rally in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, Shah said that for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the issue of Kashmir is more important than political power. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ended terrorism and Naxalism in the country," Shah told the crowd, which had gathered in support of the ruling coalition Mahayuti, of which the BJP is a key member.
Shah also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose party is allied with the National Conference, which governs Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the restoration of Article 370, Shah firmly stated, “Even if Rahul Gandhi’s fourth generation comes, Article 370 will not be restored in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Since the abrogation of Article 370 by the BJP-led government in August 2019, Shah claimed that there has been no significant unrest in the Union Territory. “After the abrogation of Article 370, no one in Jammu and Kashmir has dared to throw a stone at the government,” he added.
The comments came in the wake of a recent resolution passed by the newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which sought the restoration of the state's special status.
Shah also criticized the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance for opposing key decisions like the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370, as well as major infrastructure initiatives. He accused the MVA of focusing on financial aid proposals, such as a Rs 15,000 monthly payment to maulavis (Islamic religious clerics), while opposing development projects.