New Delhi, May 15 :
Coming down heavily on Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah’s remarks related to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is committed to taking back PoK and a nuclear power with 130 crore population will never be scared of anyone.
In an interview with ANI, Shah also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over Farooq Abdullah’s remarks on Pakistan and said he should explain what his alliance partner is saying.
“PoK is a part of India, nobody can deny this. Farooq Abdullah says, ‘Pakistan has atom bombs, give them respect and don’t demand PoK’. I would like to ask him, why will a nuclear power with a 130 crore population – Bharat – be scared of someone and give up its right? What kind of thought is this. Rahul Baba should explain to the country what are their alliance leaders saying, respect Pakistan? Give up PoK?.. Never,” he said.
“BJP believes that PoK is ours, and we will definitely take it back…” Shah added.
Farooq Abdullah, while responding to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remark that PoK will be merged with India, had said that Pakistan can also threaten with atom bombs.
Asked about steps being taken for merging PoK with India, the Home Minister said the steps are taken at the right time after seeing the situation of the country and the world.
“Such steps are taken at the right time after looking at the state of the country and the world. But we have decided on a goal,” he said.
Answering a query on protests in PoK, Amit Shah said: “There is mismanagement, it is their subject…but Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours because the entire Kashmir has merged with the Indian Union. How to take that right is India’s question…”
PoJK is Part of
Intense protests and violence, which continued for several days, led to the death of three people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced a Pakistan currency (PKR) 23 billion subsidy package for the people of PoJK in view of the protests.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday referred to protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and said “PoJK is part of India and we will take it”.
Addressing a rally in Serampore, Shah said while peace has returned to once trouble-torn Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir “now echoes with slogans of Azadi and protests.
“After the abrogation of Article 370 by the government in 2019 peace has returned to Kashmir. But now we witness protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier slogans of Azadi were heard here, now the same slogans are heard in PoJK. Earlier stones were pelted here, now stones are pelted in PoJK,” he said.
Hitting out at Congress leaders for not supporting the demand of taking over PoJK, Shah said, “Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar say it should not be done as they have an atom bomb. But let me say this Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is part of India and we will take it.”
Shah said the present Lok Sabha elections are about “choosing between corrupt leaders of INDI alliance and honest politician Narendra Modi, who despite being Chief Minister and then Prime Minister never had an allegation of single paisa against him.”
“It’s a fight between the ‘Chinese guarantee’ of the INDI Alliance and the concrete promises of Modi Ji. It’s a fight between infiltration and the guarantee of citizenship under the CAA. It’s a fight between ‘Vote for Vikas’ and ‘Vote for Jihad’! The choice is yours,” he said.
Dubbing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as “Hirak Rani” in an apparent reference to the film “Hirak Rajar Deshe” by Oscar-awarded filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Shah said, “Satyajit Ray was a great artist and filmmaker. He made a movie – Hirak Rajar Deshe. It was quite a famous movie.”
“But when Mamata ji came to power, Satyajit Ray was not there, otherwise, he would have made a movie named ‘Hirak Rani’, instead of ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’. Mamata Banerjee is the Hirak Rani,” he said.
“Bengal is the land which gave us Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana and played a key role in Bengal’s freedom struggle. Both the communists and the TMC tried to end nationalism and patriotism in Bengal,” he said.
Hitting out at the TMC over various scams, Shah said “No one will be spared even if Mamata Banerjee tries to protect them.”
“Those involved in corruption and scams and looting common people of Bengal should be prepared to go to jail. No one will be spared,” he added.
Shah slammed Banerjee for opposing the CAA and “taking out rallies in support of infiltrators” to appease her vote bank.
“Mamata Banerjee is spreading lies and canards about CAA. Why is she against refugees obtaining citizenship? She is supporting infiltration in Bengal but opposes Hindu refugees getting citizenship. She is taking of supporting infiltrators and Mullahs,” he said.
The Centre in March implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.
Referring to politics of appeasement by the TMC in Bengal, Shah said invitations for the consecration ceremony were sent to both Mamata Didi and her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee), but they chose not to attend it, “as they are afraid that infiltrators, who are TMC’s vote bank, might get offended.”
Hitting out at TMC candidate and sitting MP from Serampore Kalyan Banerjee for mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Shah said Mamata Banerjee and TMC leaders are known for flouting the constitution.
“Mamata Banerjee and TMC continue to flout the Constitution. Mamata’s ‘representative’ and the TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee’s ridiculous act of mocking the vice president has been a shameful case of insulting a high constitutional position in the country,” he said.
A political row unfolded last year after Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition’s protest on the Parliament stairs, condemning the suspension of opposition MPs.
Criticising the TMC’s resistance to central projects in Bengal, Shah said during the Congress-led UPA regime Bengal received around Rs 2 lakh crore in a period spanning 10 years from 2004-2014.
“On the other hand, the Modi government in the last 10 years have provided a whopping Rs 9.25 lakh crore. But this money did not benefit the common people as this fund was siphoned by TMC goons…,” he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has expressed confidence of the BJP-led NDA returning to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that PM Modi will continue to lead the BJP even after the next general elections.
In an interview with ANI, Amit Shah took potshots at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had claimed after being released on interim bail that if BJP-led NDA wins the general election, there would go be a change of leadership in September. Kejriwal had claimed that PM Modi will step down and Amit Shah will become the Prime Minister. “I want to make it clear again, Modiji will remain till 2029. And Kejriwalji, there is no good news for you. Even after 2029, Modiji is our leader. We will contest elections under his leadership,” Amit Shah told ANI.
Amit Shah also took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal’s recent announcement of ten guarantees to the people and said AAP leader’s comments need not be taken seriously as the party is contesting only 22 Lok Sabha seats.
“Don’t take him so seriously, he (AAP) is only fighting 22 seats. And he is giving a guarantee for the entire country. I will waive off the electricity bill of people etc. You are only contesting on 22 seats, where will your government come from?” the Home Minister asked.
Answering a query, Shah said Kejriwal’s comments in election rallies to a vote for the “broom” (Aam Aadmi Party symbol) would ensure that he does not return is “contempt” of the Supreme Court.
“I believe that this is a clear contempt of the Supreme Court. So what he wants to say is that if he wins, even if he is guilty, the Supreme Court will not send him to jail. Now that judges who pronounced the judgement have to see if their judgement is used or misused,” Shah said.
He also said that many people feel the Supreme Court’s decision granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case is akin to him getting special treatment. Amit Shah said that the judgement in the case was not a routine judicial order.
“Supreme Court has the right to interpret the law, I believe this is not a routine judgement. A lot of people in this country believe that special treatment has been given,” Shah told ANI.
Responding to a query about Kejriwal campaigning for the AAP and the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Home Minister took a dig at the Delhi Chief Minister.
“Right now he (Arvind Kejriwal) is stuck in another issue (alleged assault on Swati Maliwal by CM’s aide), let him get free from that then let’s see what happens,” Shah said.
Dismissing Arvind Kejriwal’s claims that the central government installed cameras in Tihar jail to keep a watch on him, the Union Home Minister said that the Tihar jail administration is with the Delhi government.
“Tihar is with them (Delhi government), not with us. They are lying continuously. Jail administration is with the Delhi government, it’s with Kejriwal. Not with the Home Ministry,” Shah said.
The Supreme Court on May 10 granted interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party supremo in the alleged money laundering case linked to Delhi’s excise policy. The Delhi CM spent over 50 days in Tihar Jail after he was arrested on March 21 this year by the Enforcement Directorate.
As per court order, the bail is applicable till June 1 and Kejriwal has to surrender to the jail authorities on June 2. The Delhi CM can participate in poll campaigning but cannot attend office as Chief Minister.
Four phases of Lok Sabha polls have been held and the voting will conclude on June 1 with results on June 4. Voting for Delhi’s seven seats is scheduled to be held on May 25. Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress are fighting the elections in alliance in the national capital with the AAP contesting four and the Congress three seats.
