JAMMU, Jun 23 (KNO) : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah addressed a rally in Jammu on Saturday, just a few days after his party withdrew support from the PDP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah was on a day-long trip to Jammu to mark the “martyrdom anniversary” of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.
His public address assumed significance as he touched on the political situation in the state and spoke on why the BJP withdrew support for the Mehbooba Mufti government in which his party was a partner. Jammu and Kashmir is now under governor’s rule. Taking a dig on Congress over Ghulam Nabi Azad’s comment, Amit Shah said, "I cannot even repeat what Ghulam Nabi Azad has said. But Lashkar-e-Taiba has extended support to his comment,”, referring to the Congress leader’s comment that has stirred controversy. Azad reportedly said that the “muscular policy” of the government worked mostly against civilians as it killed 20 civilians for every four terrorists. After Azad’s remarks, the Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit issued a statement saying “we have been of the same opinion as the ones expressed by Ghulam Nabi Azad and others, Shah added,
“Congress leaders should apologise to the country". “Under Narendra Modi’s government, most number of terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added. “The Centre approved AIIMS for both Jammu and Kashmir but the PDP government did not allocated land for AIIMS in Jammu. It is our right to demand our share,” says Amit Shah. Amit Shah says, “The Modi government sent several financial packages for the state, including a Rs 60,000 crore package. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came here over a dozen times. But Jammu and Ladakh were discriminated against. “If development (in the state) is not balanced and Jammu does not progress, then we decided cannot be part of this (state) government,” he says. “Under the PDP government, a newspaper editor was murdered. Children took up stone-pelting. Attacks on army and security forces increased. We could not be part of such a government,” Shah says. Amit Shah says, “I have come here after one year.
When I came last, we were part of the government. Only the BJP praises our country even when we are out of the government.” “BJP is a patriotic party. We don’t care about power, we care about the development of the state,” he says. Media narrative linking anti-terror operations to governor’s rule: Shah “Media is creating its own narrative, linking anti-terror operations to governor’s rule. I appeal to the media to change the narrative. Ours is a narrative of development ,” says Shah. Referring to sacrifice of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee for J-K , Amit Shah said, “When Jammu and Kashmir was merged with India after the Partition, there were conditions. People from other parts of the country needed permits to come to the state. Mookerjee agitated to change this. "I don’t think he died in jail in Jammu and Kashmir, he was murdered. He sacrificed himself for the state.” BJP chief ends his address by reiterating that the party wanted equal development for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and could not support a government that would not allow this.