Hindustan Times (East UP)

Rahul, Owaisi praise Pakistan: Yogi in Bihar

Adityanath says Pakistan fears another surgical strike in case of any nefarious activity against India

- Anirban Guha Roy anirbanroy@htlive.com

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hit out at All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the end to Jammu & Kashmir’s special status through the nullificat­ion of Constituti­on’s Article 370 last year has caused the two much pain.

“Only two people, Owaisi and Rahul Gandhi, praise Pakistan. They cannot think about the welfare of the nation,” he said during campaignin­g in pollbound Bihar.

Adityanath said Pakistan fears another surgical strike in case of any nefarious activity against India while crediting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led

CM Yogi Adityanath addressing a public meeting in Jamui, Bihar in support of party candidates

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre for enhancing the country security.

“Even the Prime Minister of Pakistan [Imran Khan] is now scared because he knows if there is any nefarious activity against India, there could be another surgical strike,” he said.

Adityanath was referring to September 2016 cross-border operation against the terror launchpads in Pakistan Occupied

Kashmir (PoK) in response to an attack on an army camp in Jammu & Kashmir’s Uri district. During campaignin­g in Bihar in 2015, Amit Shah, the then BJP chief, said, “Crackers will fly in Pakistan if the BJP loses in Bihar.”

The BJP lost the election when chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) successful­ly contested it in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). JD (U) returned to the NDA fold and formed the government again with the BJP in 2017.

Adityanath said the NDA government has also brought fame for India across the globe. He referred to the Citizen (Amendment) Act passed last year to fast-track the citizenshi­p process for non-Muslims, who have entered India from Afghanista­n, Pakistan, and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014. He called the legislatio­n one of the big bold decisions of the government. Adityanath, who began campaignin­g in Bihar on Tuesday, took pot-shots at the RJD’s poll promise of providing one million jobs. He called it eyewash.

“Those who could not provide ration during their stint in power and even stole fodder of animals cannot be trusted in giving jobs,” said Adityanath while recalling the fodder scam of the mid-1990s related to embezzleme­nt of funds in the supply of fodder from treasuries. RJD chief Lalu Prasad is in jail after his conviction in the case. Adityanath praised Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for ushering in progress and developmen­t in Bihar.

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