Chennai: BJP national chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday defended the Centre's action in abrogating Article 370 and taking away the special status given to Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories. He said the Article should have been removed long ago.
“Now (that it has been scrapped) Kashmir will be free from terrorism and development will be the predominant activity,” Mr. Shah said after launching a book titled 'Listening, Learning, and Leading', chronicling Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu's extensive engagement with the public during his two years in office. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar hosted the event at Kalaivanar Arrangam. The book captures a few glimpses of the Vice President's 330 public engagements across all States and union territories of the country during the last two years.
“There was no confusion that Article 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir should be removed as it was not beneficial to the country. As a legislator, I firmly believed Article 370 should have been removed long ago. As a Home Minister, there was no confusion in my mind about the consequences of removing Article 370. I'm confident terrorism in Kashmir will end and it will progress on the path of development now,” Mr. Shah said in Hindi. His speech was translated into Tamil by BJP national secretary H. Raja.
The Bill was passed with a two-thirds majority of the members present in Rajya Sabha. The next day, the Lok Sabha adopted the resolution scrapping the special status.
Stating that he wanted to first pass the bill in the Rajya Sabha where the party lacked majority (with only 78 members) before taking it up in the Lok Sabha where the BJP enjoyed absolute majority (with 303 members) Mr. Shah said Mr. Venkaiah's role as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha has been crucial in impartially handling the issue.
“Despite the complaints from some quarters that he was partial, Venkaiahji had remained neutral without taking sides with anyone,” he said and added right from debate on the bill to voting, Mr. Venkaiah's conduct merits recognition.
On the Vice President's book, Mr. Shah said it was an inspiration to him too and added that it would serve as beacon light to the entire nation. Showering praises on the Vice President for his humble nature, patriotism, dedication and commitment to the nation, the Home Minister said once when a Communist leader asked if Mr. Venkaiah had visited Kashmir, he had replied, “Can one eye see the other? When it pains in one eye, the other eye will feel it. Kashmir is also similar in nature.” “Such is his commitment and patriotism,” Mr. Shah added.
Earlier, the BJP chief apologised for his inability to speak in Tamil and said though he has been trying to learn the language, he couldn't make much progress due to pressing engagements.
