Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 | Jobs ready for youths in J&K holding laptops and tricolour, jail for stone pelters: Amit Shah

Chanderkote (J&K): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday alleged that the National Conference, PDP and the Congress wanted to release terrorists and stone-pelters to plunge Jammu and Kashmir into a terror inferno again.

He said the Narendra Modi-led government would provide jobs to youths holding laptops and tricolour in their hands and would not allow these parties to revive terrorism.

"Jails are ready for stone-pelters,” the home minister said, addressing his third election rally of the day here in Ramban district on the last day of the campaigning for the first phase of elections scheduled for September 18.

The home minister also strongly opposed the regional parties for advocating dialogue with Pakistan and the restarting of the cross-border trade, saying nothing of this sort is going to happen till terrorism is completely eliminated.

Referring to the J&K BJP manifesto for the assembly polls, he said a White Paper will be issued after the three-phase elections to ensure accountability for over 40,000 persons who lost their lives in terrorism over the past 35 years in the Union Territory.

"They (NC, PDP and Congress) want to release terrorists and stone-pelters and provide them jobs. I want to tell them that the Modi government will provide jobs to the youth who are holding laptops and tricolour in their hands," he said at the rally in support of party candidates - Rakesh Singh Thakur (Ramban) and Mohammad Saleem Bhat (Banihal).

He said these parties are advocating dialogue with Pakistan and the restarting of cross-border trade along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir which was suspended in April 2019.

“I want to clarify that no talks will be held with Pakistan till the terrorism is over. Let (NC leader) Omar Abdullah do his best, no trade will be held with Pakistan till the terrorism is buried in the ‘Pataal’ (bottomless pit),” the home minister said.

“Your intention is to bring back terrorism which will not be allowed,” he said criticising Omar Abdullah for saying that Parliament attack convicts should not have been hanged. “You are playing with fire because terrorism does not benefit anyone.” Shah referred to the NC manifesto and said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi supported it even as the regional party talked about bringing back Article 370 and the second flag.

“Do you need a second flag?” he said to the audience who replied in the negative by waving their hands.

“Rahul baba do whatever is in your power, Jammu and Kashmir will have only one flag and that is our beloved tricolour,” Shah said.

“I want to ask you and the people in Kashmir, especially the Muslim brothers and sisters what Article 370 gave you except poverty, unemployment and terrorism.

"The Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs have no benefit of Article 370, and only these three families -- Abdullah (NC), Gandhi (Congress) and Mufti (PDP) -- used it for their political interests,” he said.

“Do they deserve your votes? They gave guns and stones in the hands of the youth while ensuring their children get education abroad to enjoy power later,” he said, adding it was the Modi government that provided an opportunity to 30,000 youths by holding panchayat elections in J&K.

He said they are talking about reviewing the reservation given to various communities and "pushing youths into the fire of corruption".

“We will not allow divisive politics to run in J&K and this is our pledge,” he said.

He asked the people to decide whom they should support. “It is an election between two powers, on one side is BJP and on the other are those who pushed J&K into the fire of terrorism, leaving more than 40,000 martyred.

“I want to ask both Farooq Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi whether they are ready to take responsibility for the loss of lives in terrorism. I know they will not,” he said, adding "BJP has decided to issue a White Paper after elections to fix responsibility.” Referring to the setting up of various educational and medical institutions like AIIMS and the enhancing connectivity, he said the BJP facilitated industrial development and improved electricity supply but the opposition parties want to “throw J&K once again into the fire of terrorism by bringing back Article 370”.

He said BJP is moving forward with its slogan of ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas.

Shah alleged that the National Conference and the Congress which ruled J&K for decades together "murdered development and the future of youth, women, Scheduled Tribes and other sections by not giving them their rights".