Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said attempts were being made to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir but “we will bury it so deep from where it can never rise again”. As long as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is in power, no force can bring back terrorism in Jammu, he warned.

Shah was addressing a series of BJP election rallies at Paddar, Kishtwar and Chanderkot in Ramban that will go to polls in the first phase on 18 September. He was accompanied by the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. This was his second visit to Jammu in the past ten days.

Advertisement

Emphasising the need for decisive action against the surge in terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Minister warned the terrorists that “there is still time, return to the country you came from, otherwise the Indian Army and security forces will kill you right here”.

He said the Village Defence Guards (VDGs) and Special Police Officers (SPOs) have been equipped with the latest SLR weapons to stop infiltrators before they can reach towns and cities.

Attempts are on to revive terrorism as the National Conference (NC) and Congress manifesto talks about releasing terrorists, he said.

In a scathing attack, Shah said the NC-Congress alliance has always laid the foundation for terrorism and separatism in J&K ever since they joined hands. “These parties externed Maharaja Hari Singh from J&K. Later, only his mortal remains returned to J&K,” Shah said.

“These parties are also responsible for the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.”

He said that the government will bring out a White Paper on those responsible for bringing terrorism that resulted in killing of thousands of innocent people in J&K.

Shah said that ”the upcoming polls are a fight between the three dynasties — Congress, NC and PDP — who want Article 370 to be restored and us (BJP), who removed the Constitutional provision that curtailed your rights. There is no place for Article 370 in the Constitution of India.

”There can never be two prime ministers, two Constitutions and two flags in Kashmir. There will only be one flag and that is our Tricolour,” he asserted.

”The NC and Congress have made promises that if they come to power, they will release the terrorists from prisons. But I assure you today, as long as Narendra Modi’s government is in power, no one will dare to spread terrorism on Indian soil.”

Shah said Omar Abdullah says Afzal Guru should not be hanged. ”This indicates what will happen if Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah form the government. Bullets will be fired again, stone pelting will happen again, funeral processions of terrorists will take place again, Tazia processions will be stopped again, cinema halls will be shut again, Amarnath Yatra will be attacked again and the investment that is coming to Jammu and Kashmir will be replaced by unemployment,” he pointed out.

“We will not allow the reservation for Paharis and other sections of the society to be scrapped by the dynasts. PM Modi wants to make a prosperous J&K and wants to give the right of reservation to the OBC also,” he stressed.

In a jibe at NC vice-president Omar Abdullah, the Home Minister said that earlier he stated that he won’t contest elections in the UT. ”Then he decided to contest from two seats. This shows he has accepted defeat. Let me tell you, he can’t win from either seat,” Shah said.

The Home Minister said ”PM Modi strengthened democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. I want to ask Farooq Abdullah that your three generations ruled, but did the people of Jammu and Kashmir ever get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh? Modi provided free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to everyone.”