Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday urged voters to reject the National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance and support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir, vowing to eliminate terrorism so thoroughly that it would never resurface.
Speaking at an election rally in Kishtwar district’s Padder-Nagseni assembly constituency, Shah said, “This sacred land of Mata Machail has made supreme sacrifices for the nation. I pay my respects to the ancestors of this land. We all remember how terrorism escalated here in the 1990s. The sacrifices of Chanderkant Sharma and the Parihar brothers are still fresh in our minds.”
In April 2019, terrorists shot and killed Sharma, a BJP affiliate, along with his bodyguard Rajinder. J&K BJP secretary Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were also assassinated in November 2018.
The BJP has nominated former minister Sunil Sharma from Padder-Nagseni and Shagun Parihar, daughter of Ajit Parihar, from the Kishtwar assembly constituency.
Shah alleged that efforts were underway to revive the terror-ridden 1990s and accused the NC-Congress alliance of promising to release terrorists if elected. “But this is Narendra Modi’s government, and no one has the audacity to spread terrorism under our watch.”
Shah criticized NC chief Farooq Abdullah, questioning his whereabouts during the terror attacks in Kishtwar. “He was vacationing in London while Kishtwar bled,” Shah claimed.
He warned voters to stay away from the two parties, accusing them of nurturing terrorism. “Whenever the NC-Congress alliance formed a government, terrorism flourished. I clearly remember the 1990s, when the Gandhi and Abdullah families were responsible for the spread of terrorism. Now they want your votes again.”
Shah emphasized that the BJP government is committed to eradicating terrorism, highlighting efforts to bolster village defense guards and special police officers with better weapons and security measures.
He also reiterated that Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir semi-autonomous status, is now a thing of the past. “NC and Congress claim they will bring back Article 370 if elected. But Modi has made it history—it has no place in India’s Constitution anymore.”
Shah also vowed to protect reservations for Gujjars and Paharis, insisting that Jammu and Kashmir would never again have two constitutions or two flags. He claimed NC and Congress had promised to reconsider these reservations if they came to power but dismissed the possibility of either Farooq Abdullah or Rahul Gandhi forming a government.
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir’s last king, Maharaja Hari Singh, Shah accused NC and Congress of disrespecting him by banishing him from his state. “These parties insulted Maharaja Hari Singh, denied rights to women, and failed to protect marginalized communities. Will you really bring them back to power?” he asked.
