‘Stone Pelting, Funerals For Terrorists Will Return’: Shah Warns Voters In J-K Against Cong-NC Alliance

Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday accused National Conference (NC)- Congress alliance of nourishing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and said that terror activities would increase and stone-pelting would happen again if the alliance would come to power in the erstwhile state.

While addressing a poll-bound rally in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban, union minister slammed NC leader Omar Abdullah who had pleaded for terrorist Afzal Guru that he should have not be hanged.

Read More: ‘Will Bury Terrorism To Such A Level That It Doesn’t Resurface’: Amit Shah Tells Voters In J-K

“Bullets will be fired again, stone-pelting will happen again, funeral processions of terrorists will take place again, Tazia processions will be stopped again, cinema halls will be shut again, Amarnath Yatra will be attacked again and the investment that is coming to Jammu and Kashmir will be replaced by unemployment, if Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah form the government,” he said.

Shah further accused the Congress and National Conference for throwing Jammu and Kashmir in the fire of terrorism for their political gains. He said that the political agenda of NC and Congress is to bring back Article 370 and 35A in the state.

“The upcoming elections are between two forces. On one hand, you have those who threw J&K in the fire of terrorism. J&K was burning in the fire of terrorism for their political gains…I want to ask Farooq Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi if they will take responsibility for the J&K burning due to terrorism…The agenda of the National Conference is to bring again one more flag in J&K. There will be only one flag in J&K, tricolour…They want to bring Article 370 and 35A. The beneficiaries of Article 370 were these 3 families, Abdullah, Gandhi and Mufti family…” he added.

The union minister further said that India would not hold any talks or trade with Pakistan until terrorism is completely eradicated from the region.

“They say that they will hold talks with Pakistan. I want to clarify that until we are able to completely eradicate terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir, we will not hold any talks with Pakistan. They want to begin LoC trade… the same LoC trade from which terrorism was born here. I want to tell Omar Abdullah that until terrorism is removed from its roots from here, we will not start any trade with Pakistan,” he added.

Shah also spoke of the BJP-led government’s commitment to combat terrorism and to strengthen the local economy, including through hydroelectric projects and infrastructure initiatives.

This was the home minister’s second visit to the Jammu region within a fortnight. Earlier, during his two-day visit to Jammu on September 6 and 7, he released BJP’s manifesto for J-K assembly elections and addressed a workers’ convention.

Congress and the National Conference have formed an alliance for the assembly polls.

Assembly polls will be held in Jammu arm Kashmir in three phases on September 18, September 25 and November 1. Votes will be counted on October. Monday is the last day for campaigning in 24 assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from agencies)