Amit Shah: Rahul, Pawar must clarify stance on Article 370

The Asian Age.  | Sonu Shrivastava

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The Indian Parliament had on August 5 abrogated Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status, and 35(A) of the Constitution.

Former NCP leader and Sharad Pawar’s relative Rana Jagjitsingh Patil joined the BJP in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur on Sunday. (Photo: Shripad Naik)

Solapur: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday challenged the Opposition to contest the upcoming Assembly election over the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 (A) of the Constitution.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the second leg of the Maha Janadesh Yatra, Mr Shah urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar to clear their stand over the contentious issue.

“People of Solapur are backing the decision but you (Rahul and Sharad) both are weeping. You should clear your stand before the Maharashtra Assembly election, whether you (Rahul and Sharad) support the decision to abrogate Article 370 or not,” the BJP president said.

The Indian Parliament had on August 5 abrogated Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status, and 35(A) of the Constitution.

However, the regional parties in Kashmir — National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — and the Congress had called the move as ‘aggression against the people’.

“Kashmir has now been made an integral part of India. We have opened the doors for the development of the Kashmir,” he claimed.

Training his guns on Pakistan, the home minister said the decision to scrap Article 370 has foiled Islamabad’s nefarious plans to create tensions in the Valley.

“No PM had dared to remove the Article from Jammu and Kashmir. Only our Prime Minister dared to do so,” the Union home minister said.

Reiterating that the situation remains peaceful in the state, Mr Shah claimed that not a single bullet has been fired so far.

“Rahul’s statment is being used by Pakistan to target India. I want to ask him, Rahul ji, are you speaking for which country,” he said.

Meanwhile, NCP leader from Osmanabad, Ranajagjitsinh Patil, former NCP MP from Kolhapur, Dhananjay Mahadik, and Congress MLA from Mann, Jaykumar Gore, joined the saffron party in the presence of Mr Shah.

The BJP chief also took pot shots at the Opposition, taunting that if the party really opens its door for Congress-NCP leaders, both parties will be left with just Mr Pawar and Prithviraj Chavan — both former chief ministers.

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