Union Home Minister Amit Shah in an exclusive and significant interview with JK Media group emphasised that lotus will bloom in the Kashmir valley and people will vote for BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to assure the party’s victory.
Replying to the query about the reading down of Article 370 and the opposition parties continuous emphasis that it has reverted J&k back instead of developing it, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah said, “There were misconceptions that was spread to explain the wrong benefits of special status to J&K people and these misconceptions have been destroyed. People used to say that after scrapping J&K’s special status it’s culture, language, and identity will end, but nothing happened even after five years”.
Shah added, “Kashmiris are still Kashmiris and Kashmiri language, cuisine’s significance has increased and also tourism. A hoax was disseminated that after abrogation of A-370, demography will change, Kashmiriyat will finish, but nothing like that occurred. I want to apprise people of Kashmir that people of other states are still following their cultures and they have not been granted any special status. India has been made in such a beautiful way in which numerous, cultures, dialects coexist together making culture of the country”. I am so pleased that the public of J&K are understanding this. Under the garb of special status the youth of J&K were pushed towards terrorism by projecting Separatism as an ideology which Pakistan abused and which resulted in killings of more than 40,000 local youth in four decades”.
Talking further Shah said, “J&K today is heading towards peace, terrorism is ending, Darbar move has ended, stone pelting incidents have been reduced to zero. Anti-corruption bureau has been formed to combat corruption, Pathankot’s naka permit has finished. After 33 years the locals are enjoying night culture, Muharram procession was taken out in valley after thirty years, G-20 was held. After a long time the masses are experiencing a peaceful milieu, development has reached people’s doorstep”.
Counting post-2019 success of J&K, Union Home Minister said, “J&K is moving away from terrorism and has passionately welcomed Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, Formula-1 racing event, arrival of 4.5 lakh of Amarnath pilgrims and 1 crore 10 lakh annual visit of tourists in J&K all these things is beginning of new change in the region. Youth are also getting jobs and every individual is taking benefits of govt schemes”.
Replying to the media query about recent PM Modi’s public rally in Srinagar’s Bakshi stadium attended by thousands, he said, “It is not our motive to make BJP immediate stronger here but make people understand, who work for their welfare because NC, PDP and Congress have stopped democracy to reach at grass root levels here. Panchayati Raj elections have taken place in J&K even before PM Modi and 30,000 people are representing through these elections, which is a huge achievement. The crowd didn’t came to see PM Modi only but to thank him for a new J&K. Responding further to elections and locals participation, he said, “Our aim is not to achieve immediate success but to patiently make space among voters of the valley and slowly we will build our organisation and with people blessings lotus will bloom. I’m saying this with full confidence that in this election all the three dynastic parties will not win anything and they will be driven out from Kashmir as the people will choose their representatives, not those who used to parrot Pakistan interests here”,
Commenting on the query about Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ambitious target of winning 370 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shah told, “This is a number due to which progress has percolated in every J&K household, happiness has reached here, there is an increase in tourists and in whole country a spirit has increased to embrace Kashmir. Kashmir for the first time is moving forward and has become one with India and everyone is happy about it. Our strategy is very clear that we have progressed J&K and India, economy, secured the country, tighten noose around terrorism and our foreign policy is being praised globally. Today, India is a manufacturing hub worldwide. Our economy is now at 5th place from 11th. It is natural and vital that the party’s expansion will happen and we will also have success in Lok Sabha elections, I believe that people will really vote for us”.
Reacting to PM Modi’s claim to make India a developed nation by 2047 and aspirations of J&K people of development at par with other states”, he stressed, “There are 53 govt schemes made at a cost 98,000 crore for J&K and approximately 9 schemes of 21000 crore have been made for Ladakh”.
Lauding various Central govt schemes, the Home Minister, added, “The govt has spent more than 45000 crore for 5300 schemes. Earlier, 1175 km road used to be constructed annually under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana scheme, but, today 8000 km road is being built yearly. Before 2019, Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana only 45,000 houses were built and now 1,4500 lakh houses have been handed over to poor people of J&K, while 5.75 lakh people had access to clean water and now 14.30 lakh J&K households have clean and safe piped water under the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). There are 83 lakh Kashmiris who have health insurance under PM-JAY fully financed by the Indian govt. Numerous schemes have reached to people and infrastructure projects have also taken place”.
