Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has hit back at Rahul Gandhi's statement. Amit Shah said, 'Rahul Gandhi says that he will give statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Does he have the right to do so? I have said in Parliament that statehood will be restored at an appropriate time after the elections.'
Amit Shah said in Jammu, 'For the first time after the removal of Article 370, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are going to vote. I want to tell my workers that they should ensure that the opposition candidates lose their deposits. This election is historic. For the first time, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are going to vote under one flag. There will be no separate Prime Minister in Jammu and Kashmir.'
Congress wants the release of stone pelters
The Home Minister further said, 'I want all of you to vote before 11.30 am on polling days. The National Conference and Congress want the release of stone-pelters. They want to promote terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch. We have put the miscreants in jail. Who do they want to benefit by resuming trade across the LoC? We will not talk to Pakistan until peace is established.'
He further said, 'They want to change the name of Shankaracharya Hill to Takht-e-Suleman. Will you allow this? Three families have looted Jammu and Kashmir. They want to deprive Jammu of its rights. They want autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. Now no force will dare to talk about autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir.'
What did Rahul Gandhi say in Jammu and Kashmir?
Rahul Gandhi had said in Jammu and Kashmir on 4 September that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir has been taken away but we will get it back. Rahul said, 'For the first time since 1947, a state has taken away their rights. It is the responsibility of not only the Congress Party and the National Conference but every citizen to get the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever the BJP-Sangh says, we are going to give the statehood back to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.'
Rahul further said, 'Not only your state is being snatched away, your rights and your property are also being snatched away from you. In 1947, we removed the kings and formed a democratic government. Today, there is a king in Jammu and Kashmir. His name is LG. The LG there is the king of the 21st century. He does whatever he wants. The people there neither get employment nor any other benefits. The government gives all this to the outsiders.'