MUMBAI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a poll rally at Buldana in Western Vidarbha on Friday, targeted the Congress for internationalizing the Kashmir issue.
While the BJP has always maintained its stand that Kashmir is India’s internal matter, Congress leaders are raising the issue on international fora, Shah said.
“Kamal Dhaliwal, the Overseas Congress Chief, close to Rahul Gandhi, met Jeremy Corbyn (UK Labour Party leader) and said the situation is not normal in Kashmir. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, what does your party want to do by discussing matters of the country with foreign leaders?” Shah said.
While giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the abrogation of Article 370, Shah also appealed voters to seek clarification from the parties about their stand on Kashmir issue.
“In the integration of Kashmir with India, Article 370 was the biggest hurdle. In 70 years, no other Prime Minister showed the courage to abrogate Article 370 but Narendra Modi did it,” Shah said and added, “The Congress and the NCP opposed the abrogation of Article 370. When they come to you asking for votes, you should ask what is their stand on it.”
He also accused the Congress government of remaining silent on terrorist attacks contrary to the incumbent government under PM Modi.
The Union Home Minister also targeted the opposition over charges of corruption against them.
“Maharashtra has seen a lot of loot by the NCP Congress Government in the 15 years they ruled in the State. The Government had started the Adarsh Housing Scheme for widows of our soldiers, but they did not even leave that. They took even those houses away,” he said.
“I say this with immense pride that there have been no claims of corruption on Devendra Fadnavis in the last five years, and no charges on PM Modi in the last six years. Even the Opposition cannot talk about corruption by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister,” Shah added.
“This is the first election after the abrogation of Article 370. The world needs to know that the entire nation stands together against Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. We want to remove the infiltrators from the country via the NRC, but the Congress has a problem with that too,” Shah said.