Mumbai: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully eliminated terrorism and Naxalism from India, and stressed that Article 370 will never be reinstated in Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at a rally in Ghatkopar ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls on Nov 20, Shah said for the BJP, Kashmir was more important than political power. Campaigning for the coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi, whose party is aligned with the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir.
At another rally in Borivali, referring to a recent comment by former Union home Minister and Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde, Shah said, “Despite being the (country’s) home minister, he used to be frightened going to Kashmir. He himself said so in an interview. Now, he can visit Kashmir with his grandchildren.” Shah, while claiming that efforts of the Modi-led govt had restored peace in the Valley, urged Rahul Gandhi to take a “ride on a shikara” in the Dal lake and enjoy the new-found atmosphere of peace.
Shah also targeted undocumented Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants, saying, “One by one, Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingya will be taken out of Mumbai before the end of this term.” Speaking about the Mahayuti alliance’s work in Mumbai, he said the Dharavi redevelopment project would not only provide “better housing” for its residents but also increase overall valuation of the city.
Targeting leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Shah said Uddhav Thackeray’s conduct diverged from Bal Thackeray’s stand on core issues such as Ram Mandir, Article 370, and the renaming of Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar. He said, “Uddhav’s pursuit of power appears to diverge significantly from the core values established by Bala Saheb.” Taking a dig at Uddhav for his alleged opposition to infrastructure projects, Shah said, “He could use the Samruddhi Mahamarg which is constructed by us to reach Nagpur if he fears travelling via air.”
Later, he participated in a rally at Kandivali which featured six Mahayuti alliance candidates from Mumbai-North: Manisha Chaudhary, Sanjay Upadhayay, Atul Bhatkhalkar, Yogesh Sagar, Vinod Shelar (all BJP) and Prakash Surve of Shiv Sena (Shinde camp), along with MP Piyush Goyal and other leaders. The gathering drew thousands of supporters.
Shah also questioned Sharad Pawar for inaction in classifying Marathi as a classical language under the UPA regime, while highlighting his administration’s success in obtaining the status.