Nehru responsible for PoK, shouldn\'t have declared ceasefire: Amit Shah

Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday addressed a rally in Mumbai and strongly took up the topic of abrogation of Article 370 that was implemented by the BJP government. He said that three generations of the Bhartiya Janata Party have given their lives for the integration of Kashmir with India.

“Rahul Gandhi says Article 370 is a political issue. Rahul ‘baba’, you have come into politics now, but three generations of BJP have given their live for Kashmir, for abrogation of Article 370. It’s not a political matter for us, it’s part of our goal to keep bharat maa undivided,” Amit Shah said at the rally in Mumbai.

The home minister further congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “bravery and grit” for implementing the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A as soon as BJP’s government came to power for the second time.

“I congratulate Prime Minister Modi’s bravery and grit. He removed Article 370 & 35A in the very first session of the Parliament as soon as we formed the govt for the second time with 305 seats,” Shah said.

“People would say Kashmir is an integral part of India but nobody said Maharashtra or Karnataka are an integral part of India. People would say this because they had to prove it. Today, I can proudly say that Kashmir is an integral part of India,” Shah added.

The Union minister also expressed confidence that the BJP would sweep the Maharashtra polls, saying “whatever happens, NDA government will be formed in Maharashtra with a three-fourth majority”.

Shah blamed former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), saying it would not have come into existence had Nehru not declared untimely ceasefire with the neighbouring country.

Targeting Nehru over "non-integration" of Kashmir with India, he said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country's first home minister, should have handled the issue, instead of the then prime minister.

"Not a single bullet has been fired in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370," he said, adding that there was no unrest in Kashmir and in the coming days, "terrorism will be finished".

Without taking any names, he said three dynasties that ruled Kashmir didn't allow the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to be set up there. "Those who indulged in corruption in Kashmir now are feeling the heat despite the cold there," Shah added.

Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana are scheduled to take place on October 21, the Election Commission said on Saturday. Nearly 11 crore people across the two states will cast their votes with results to be declared on October 24.

This will be the first election since the centre's contentious decision to withdraw special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and the BJP has made it clear it will highlight the issue, which was one of its key promises in national polls in April-May, in both states.

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