A day after HM Amit Shah demolished the Congress’s criticisms during the Citizenship Amendment Bill debate in the Lok Sabha, he took on the Opposition over the Kashmir issue.
“The situation in Kashmir is completely normal”, Home Minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and attacked the Congress for its pitch after the abrogation of Article 370 that had predicted bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The situation in Kashmir valley is completely normal. I can’t make Congress’ condition normal, because they had predicted bloodshed after the abrogation of Article 370. Nothing of that sort happened… not one bullet was fired,” Amit Shah said, responding to questions on the situation in the Kashmir Valley.
HM Amit Shah in Lok Sabha: Situation in Kashmir valley is completely normal. I can’t make Congress’s condition normal, because they had predicted bloodshed after abrogation of article 370. Nothing of that sort happened, not one bullet was fired pic.twitter.com/xg6rqyZ7Fx
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2019
Countering Congress’ motor-mouth Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s claim that the continued detention of political leaders indicates that the situation in Kashmir was far from normal, the Home Minister said a decision on releasing detained political leaders, including the three former chief ministers in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken by the local administration and the central government will not interfere in the matter.
“We don’t want to keep them even a day extra in jail, when administration thinks its right time, political leaders will be released. Farooq Abdullah’s father was kept in jail for 11 years by Congress, we don’t want to follow them, as soon as the UT administration decides, they will be released”, said Amit Shah.
Amit Shah:We don’t want to keep them even a day extra in jail,when administration thinks its right time,political leaders will be released.Farooq Abdullah’s father was kept in jail for 11 years by Congress,we dont want to follow them,as soon as admin decides,they will be released pic.twitter.com/PTKePOEn7x
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2019
Notably, in the year 1953, Sheikh Abdullah (Farooq Abdullah’s father) who was considered to be a good friend of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was put behind bars by the ruling Congress party, in connection with the infamous ‘Kashmir conspiracy case’. It was alleged that the top Kashmiri leadership under the guidance of Sheikh Abdullah was trying to promote secession.
Abdullah was released in 1964 in what was seen to be a peace deal between the two parties for an agreement on Kashmir. The same year, he visited Pakistan and 11 years later, Abdullah and the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed an accord paving way for him to return to power in his state.
Amit Shah continued to cut down Congress to its size by chiding it for not worrying enough about the people but instead politicking using the Kashmir issue.
“99.5% students sat for exams there, but for Adhir Ranjan ji this is not normalcy, 7 lakh ppl availed OPD services in Srinagar, curfew, sec 144 removed from everywhere. But for Adhir ji the only parameter for normalcy is political activity. What about local body polls which were held?” Amit Shah said.
Amit Shah then reminded Adhir Chowdhury that under the BJP rule, local body elections were conducted in the Jammu and Kashmir and there are now hundreds of public representatives working to avail the government’s welfare schemes to teh poor.
HM: 99.5% students sat for exams there,but for Adhir Ranjan ji this is not normalcy,7 lakh ppl availed OPD services in Srinagar,curfew,sec 144 removed from everywhere. But for Adhir ji only parameter for normalcy is political activity. What about local body polls which were held? https://t.co/YXEJAiA3ME pic.twitter.com/vwahLWeACO
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2019
It is notable here that Congress has been crying foul over the abrogation of article 370 and the eastwhile state’s bifurcation even as many of its own leaders had supported the move. Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Karan Singh and former CM Deepender Hooda had supported the abrogation of Article 370.
