Union Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repealed Article 370 within weeks of getting re-elected to ensure full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the country and asked the Congress and the NCP to clear their stance on the issue.
Addressing a rally here, Shah alleged that the rule of Congress and NCP in the state was marked by corruption and the "double engine" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has worked for the progress for the state in the past five years.
"The governments earlier worked for a caste or a region but the BJP government is the one which works for every district and every caste," he said.
Shah said Pakistan had sought proof of surgical strikes and alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had done the same.
"As soon as Modiji became the PM, he abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. He ensured the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the country. When Modiji removes Article 370, Pakistan opposes it and Rahul Gandhi also opposes it. I do not understand why every time thinking of Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan is the same," Shah said.
"I want to ask the leaders of NCP and Congress about their stand on the abrogation of Article 370. Why did you not support PM Modi on the initiative? Is politics more important for them than the nation?" he asked.
Shah said Maharashtra was the top-ranked state in industry, farming, and irrigation after Independence but had gone down during the rule of Congress and NCP.
"The state is rising again with BJP governments in power here and at the Centre," said Shah.
He said the BJP government has given Rs 26,000 crore for irrigation, Rs 3,000 fro drought, Rs 13,000 crore for Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana, Rs 7,000 crore for Swachch Bharat, Rs 20,000 crore for metro and Rs 97,000 crore for various other development schemes.
"They have misused the Rs 72,000 crore allotted for irrigation. In the last five years, the BJP government has supplied water to 20,000 villages at just Rs 9,000 crore," he said.
Shah said the state saw three-three Chief Ministers in five years under Congress-NCP governments. He said the BJP was the only party where even small worker can rise to high posts.
( With inputs from ANI )