Shah slams Cong-NCP on family politics; rakes up Corbyn row
Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah on Friday hit out at Congress and NCP, saying they work for their political families, while BJP and Shiv Sena have only the country’s interest on their mind.
Shah targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over a delegation of the party’s overseas UK unit meeting Britain’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and discussing Kashmir.
“Rahul Gandhi must apologise for this as it is against India’s stated stand that there will be no third party role in Kashmir and the state is India’s internal matter. Rahul Gandhi should clarify his stand on the issue,” he said.
After the meeting, the Congress disowned its overseas Congress unit in the UK, saying it is not authorised to talk on India’s internal matters with outsiders.
Addressing a poll rally in Buldhana district, he slammed the opposition for criticising scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and praised PM Modi for the historic decision.
“The people of Maharashtra have a choice to make. The Congress and NCP work for the welfare of their respective families, whereas the BJP and Shiv Sena have only the country’s interest on their mind,” Shah said.
He said Modi’s first decision after winning a historic mandate for a second term in May was to scrap Articles 370 and 35A, which were impediments in complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
“No PM ever dared to touch this issue. But, Modiji did it. Today Kashmir is an integral part of the country. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said rivers of blood will flow in the Valley if the decision (scrapping Article 370) was taken and voted against the decision in Parliament.
But, not a drop of blood has been shed,” the BJP chief said, adding for BJP, country’s security is more important than vote-bank politics.
“Why is the opposition asking what is the connection of Article 370 with Maharashtra politics? The entire country wanted Kashmir to be a part of India and Modiji fulfilled that wish,” Shah said.