New Delhi: Addressing an event in Solapur, Maharashtra, Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah said that by taking the bold step of abrogating Article 370, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given a strong message that the Unity and Integrity of the Nation comes above everything else. On the issue of Article 370, people of India are standing like a rock with the Prime Minister, he said.
Shri Shah said Sardar Patel integrated 630 princely states but was not allowed to integrate Jammu & Kashmir into India. This Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has realized this dream of the Sardar and that of the people of India for the last 70 years. Jammu Kashmir is an integral part of India and doors of development have now been opened for the people. Now no enemy can dare to attempt any misadventure against the security and integrity of India, he added.
The Home Minister said that those in the opposition have opposed this step tooth and nail and have questioned the abrogation of Article 370. They must clarify whether they want terrorism to continue and bloodshed to go on in the country. Their statements are being used by our enemies against India in the UN, he said.
Speaking further on how normalcy is being restored in Jammu Kashmir, Shri Shah said that since August 5 there has not been a single bullet fired in the state and not a single life has been lost. He said, “I appeal to all political parties to rise above politics, not think about vote bank and stand with the government to secure the unity and integrity of the country. There are many other issues on which politics can be done but it must not happen on issues of national security and integrity of the Nation”.
The Home Minister remembered how Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee supported Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government in 1965 and Smt. Indira Gandhi led government during 1971 Indo-Pak wars, on the floor of the Parliament. When in 1994, Pakistan brought up the Kashmir issue again, the P.V. Narasimha Rao Government brought a resolution in the Parliament, which was supported by our party in both Houses. The question came up as to who would present India’s case strongly in the UN, Shri Rao said that no one other than Shri Vajpayee can do this. Shri Vajpayee, though being in the opposition, led the Indian delegation to UN and presented India’s stand in front of the world strongly. He used to say, “We live not for politics but for India”.
Appealing to the opposition to stand united with the Government on issues concerning National Security, Shri Shah reiterated, “We have always supported the government on all the issues where the country is concerned. I expect the same from the opposition as well”.
The Home Minister praised the Shri Devendra Fadnavis led Maharashtra government and said that earlier the government used to worry about only one family but the present central and state government are worrying about the public, hence Maharashtra is moving forward. He said that in our culture, when people give us a mandate, we give account of each penny spent. Shri Shah said that the central government increased the funds to Maharashtra from Rs. 1,15,000 crore to Rs. 2,86,354 crore, which gave a boost to the development works. He said that earlier it was said that out of 100 paise sent by Centre 85 paise were lost on the way, but now to the 100 paisa sent from the centre, the state government is adding its share and giving benefits worth 125 paise to the public.
