Chikli (Maharashtra): Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah hit out Friday at the Congress and NCP, stating that they work for their respective political families, while the BJP and Shiv Sena have only the country’s interest on their minds.
Amit Shah targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over a delegation of the party’s overseas UK unit meeting Britain’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and discussing Kashmir.
“Rahul Gandhi must apologise for this as it is against India’s stated stand that there will be no third party role in Kashmir and the state is India’s internal matter. Rahul Gandhi should clarify his stand on the issue,” Shah told the gathering.
It should however, be stated that the Congress disowned its overseas unit in the UK. The party said it is not authorised to talk on India’s internal matters with outsiders.
Addressing a poll rally here in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, the Home Minister slammed the opposition for criticizing scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the historic decision.
Amit Shah said for the BJP, the country’s security is more important than vote-bank politics.
“Why is the opposition asking what is the connection of Article 370 with Maharashtra politics? The entire country wanted Kashmir to be a part of India and (Narendra) Modiji fulfilled that wish,” Shah asserted.
“Maharashtra has got nothing to do with Kashmir? Soldiers from Buldhana sacrificed their lives for the protection of Kashmir. The opposition doesn’t feel national issues are important,” pointed out the BJP president.
Shah said these are first elections in Maharashtra (and also in Haryana) after scrapping of Article 370, August 5 and they provide an opportunity to voters to show they are one on this crucial issue.
The Home Minister also said that the NRC (National Register of Citizens) will be implemented and by 2024, each and every infiltrator will be thrown out of the country.
The Home Minister also endorsed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s leadership and said he will occupy the post for the next five years and sought a mandate with a 3/4th majority in the polls.
Mocking the NCP over dynastic politics, he said Sharad Pawar family members Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, and their children are contesting elections.
“Why… is there no talent outside the family. Such ‘pariwar wadi’ parties can’t work for the welfare of the state and the country,” asserted Shah.
Stating that corruption was the culture of the Congress-NCP, the minister pointed out that the opposition could not level a single allegation of corruption against Fadnavis or Narendra Modi.
PTI
