Shah says assembly polls in J & K whenever EC is ready: Jitendra Singh flays Oppn

Jitendra Singh (Union Minister, BJP MP from Jammu and Kashmir

".....we entered in the coalition (with PDP) dictated by the mandate of the people and we walked out of the coalition dictated by the will of the people because we are a Party with a difference. ....you (Opposition parties) ...have manipulated the Constitution of India to your convenience including Article370 and Article 35A. 

"Some of these people who do not have courage to call terrorist a 'terrorist'. They would struggle to say so....(aisa kahete huen unki juban larkhara jaati hae).....

But they crictise SPG and CRPF personnel who protect them, it is a sacrilege.

When Kashmiri pandits were forced to move out of their house....Are they not the stakeholders? In the history of the world, after the exchange of partitions of 1947, this was the biggest exodus that had happened.

Militancy is on its way out. We are going through the last phase of militancy in Kashmir.  

...... There is a huge change of approach as far as tackling terrorism with zero-tolerance is concerned. 

--Now, I am making a serious allegation before I conclude, and I have no hesitation in doing so.

There is a vested interest in Kashmir in the continuation of militancy. 

This vested interest is not only confined to other sections of society but also to the so-called mainstream political parties which are beneficiaries of low-voter turnout, beneficiaries of holding elections in the atmosphere of intimidation which enables them to carry on their dynasty rule generation after generation

There is a collusion between these Kashmir experts from the political spectrum and Kashmir experts from the intellectual spectrum. This intellectual terrorism, 28-06-2019 sh/rjn Uncorrected/Not for publication 341 let me repeat the term ‘Intellectual Terrorism’, is causing as much harm as the terrorists in the country.

More than 70 per cent population is below the age of 40. They have moved on. Whether you like it or not, whether anybody likes it or not, the youth of Kashmir has already become a part of the development journey of Modi’s ‘New India’.

We have invested heavily in Kashmir. We have lost our founder leader, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in Kashmir. -- Jitendra Singh in Lok Sabha on June 28, 2019

The Lok Sabha on Friday approved a statutory resolution extending President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir for a period of six months. The House also passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The resolution  and the Bill were passed after an intense and long debate lasting for about three hours and a nearly an hour-long spirited reply by Union Home Minister Amit Shah who appealed to the members to rise above party affiliations and political leanings to pass the two key measures.

 BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB (CUTTACK) of Bju Janata Dal : 

I am not going to give a speech on the Resolution and the Bill. I have certain questions or some queries. I have the Sankalp Patra of Bharatiya Janata Party before me. Here are the first two lines: Secure India, Determined India. The first one is ‘continue our policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism and empower security forces in combating terrorism.’ The second line is more important: committed to the abrogation of article 370 and annulment of article
35A.

To a certain extent, my friend Shri Jitendra Singh also mentioned these two issues. I think the Home Minister can throw some light on what progress the Government is making on these two issues.  

..... and there is a need to extend the President’s Rule for another six months’ time. But the question is: can Presidential Proclamation remain in perpetuity? No, it cannot remain for more than three years except for the intervention of the Election Commission.

The Government has very little role to play. The Election Commission has
to certify that the continuance is necessary on account of difficulties in holding
elections to the Legislative Assembly. I would also like to mention here that before the date was fixed, two persons were sent to Jammu and Kashmir to find out whether to hold the Assembly elections or not. 

It was only after their report was provided to the Election Commission that it was decided that we would not be holding the Assembly elections. Why did it not happen? I think, the Minister concerned would be telling us the reason.

I would like to mention about the formation of the Government in 2015. The intelligence of the people was challenged but it was only Mufti sahab’s presence – whose name has been very rarely mentioned – and his leadership because of which everyone tolerated the situation.

ASADUDDIN OWAISI (HYDERABAD): AIMIM

Sir, I stand to oppose the President’s Rule because it is a violation of article 370. It is very clear that by extending the President Rule, this Government is violating article 370.

Secondly, yesterday the hon. Home Minister was in Jammu and Kashmir.He looked very handsome over there by wearing that pagri of Bakrawal. I wantto know from the Home Minister as to what is the definition of peace in histhinking. Do we want peace of a graveyard or do we want peace of mind? Whatwe are seeing now in Kashmir Valley is the peace of a graveyard. That will notsustain us. Kashmir is a part of our country and it will definitely be but how doyou bring peace of mind?

For example, when the Home Minister was there yesterday, the whole

Valley was closed. Is that the definition of peace? …(Interruptions). It is because

the Home Minister was in town, a traffic advisory was issued by the Governor,

due to which not a single person could come out of his house. Is that peace?

No. You say that the strike was not called. Last time, when Mr. Rajnath Singh

as a Home Minister went there, there was no strike.

Thirdly, I want to know from the hon. Home Minister whether he will accept

the talks offer given by Mirwaiz Farooq. He has given an olive branch. Will this

Government take it forward?

Fourthly, I want to tell the hon. Home Minister that his spokesperson has

said that they are dissolving this Government because of Shujaat Bukhari’s

death. 

Can you please tell us what has been the progress in Sujat Bukhari’s murder

investigation? Are you going to say that because we have killed that militant, a

terrorist, Sujat Bukhari’s investigation is over? I would like to know the details

from the hon. Home Minister.

The other point is that I would like to know from the hon. Home Minister

as to whether he can provide the list of how many Kashmiri Muslim Officers are

working. The reason I say this is because the list clearly shows the ratio as 68

per cent to 28 per cent.

What is this theory about delimitation? One hon. Member said that it is

slated towards Kashmir. I respectfully submit that there are 15 lakhs more

people living in the Valley. Are you for delimitation? Can you please tell us how

many Kashmiri Pandits have you taken back in Kashmir in the last five years?

Please tell the House. It is because this has been an election issue. You use

article 370; you use Kashmiri Pandits to beat us, to create an atmosphere of

fear.

These are my important questions on which I seek answers from the hon.

Home Minister. Please bring peace of mind and not peace of a graveyard. There

have been so many IDE attacks. Since 2005, 73 security personnel died during

the rule of this Government. Eighty-seven locals have been killed. We want to

know your position on shooting of boys. These questions have to be answered

by the hon. Home Minister. 

``We have carried out strikes at the very root of terrorism which everyone knows is fuelled by Pakistan"- AMIT SHAH, HOME MINISTER, BJP Chief - Gandhinagar MP

In his first major speech in the newly constituted 17th Lok Sabha, Mr Shah reiterated the Modi government's commitment to follow the path of ``Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat'' as enunciated by former Prime Minister ATal Bihari Vajpayee.

He assured the House that free and fair assembly polls would be held in J & K whenever Election Commission of India wanted to conduct the exercise in the State. Tear into Congress charges, Mr. Shah said that till today Article 356 of the Constitution has been invoked 132 times and out of which 93 times it was used during the Congress rule for political considerations.

Stressing that the BJP-led government was continuing its policy of ``Zero Tolerance'' towards terrorism, Mr Shah who returned after a two-day security review meeting in Jammu and Kashmir said that other parties also did not support terrorism but their ways and means in implementing policies were different than those of the BJP government.

``We have carried out strikes at the very root of terrorism which everyone knows is fuelled by Pakistan. Surgical strike and air strike were two examples of hitting hard at the very origin of terrorism and these have yielded desired results,'' Mr Shah said amid applause and thumpling of desks by treasury benches. He said the BJP government had reviewed security provided to individuals in J and K, mostly those who aired anti-India views. ``We took away security cover of 919 such persons and also banned Pakistani channels which were beaming anti-India propaganda by twisting facts,'' he informed the House.

Replying to concerns raised by members on holding of assembly elections in the border State, Mr Shah said the government would not delay even for a moment the recommendation of the Election Commission of India whenever it was ready to conduct elections in Jammu and Kashmir. ``We will not hesitate and delay even for a second assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. These were not held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls as more candidates would have been in electoral arena and ensuring their security was a difficult task. Lok Sabha elections in the State were held in a peaceful manner,'' he told the House.

While moving the resolution earlier, he said since the state assembly has been dissolved and the Election Commission has decided to hold fresh elections in Jammu and Kashmir later this year, it is essential that the President's Rule be extended for another six months with effect from July 3, 2019. He said during the Governor's Rule and later President's Rule, the government hit at the roots of terrorism. The state has seen violence in previous elections, but things have changed, he said.  

Hitting out at Congress, he blamed it for the partition which he called a historic blunder of Himalayan proportions as well as giving away PoK by agreeing to ceasefire when Pakistani invaders had trooped in to Kashmir Valley. He said the seed of alienation of Kashmiri people was sown when elections in 1957, 1962 and 1967 were held in a facrical manner. ``Such jokes in the name of elections made Kashmiri people lose their confidence in Indian government and it sowed seeds of doubt in them,'' he said.  

Stating that the BJP vehemently opposed ``tukde, tukde gang'', Mr. Shah said those who want to break the country, should feel frightened. ``The fear should not be in the minds of the the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We consider the people of Jammu and Kashmir as our own. But the doubts that have already been sown long ago, are creating problems. We are trying to bring Kashmiri people into national mainstream,'' he said.

``Our government is concerned about the voice and aspirations of people in Kashmir. Till today, the Panchayats have not been given the right to choose Panch and Sarpanch. Only three families have ruled Kashmir for so many years. Why should they run the Gram Panchayat, the Nagar Panchayat and even the government?  The welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is our top priority. Our government feels that they should be given more since they have suffered a lot. Our government has taken a lot of steps to implement development projects in the State,'' he said.

He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a Rs. 80,000 crore special package in 2015 to Jammu and Kashmir for development projects like roads, bridges and power stations. He said that schools were reopened, mid-day meals were introduced, thousands of J and K students were taken on tour to different parts of India to show that they were inalienable part of India. He said two AIIMS, IIMs and IITs have already been sanctioned for the State.  

  

The Home Minister said that on June 23,1953, when Shyama Prasad Mukherjee went to Jammu and Kashmir protesting against the permit system and two Prime Ministers in the country, he was arrested and later died under mysterious circumstances.

``Shouldn't a probe be launched into it as Mr Mukherjee was an opposition leader then, a leader of the country and of Bengal and a former Union Industries Minister. If today, West Bengal is a part of India, it is because of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's contribution,'' he said.

Mr Shah said that national security continues to remain on the top priority of the government as the BJP always stood for a strong nation where all citizens feel secure. He said that for the first time all demands of the Central Armed Para-Military Forces (CAPFs), deplyoed in J and K, were met at a total cost of Rs. 2300 crores. He said that a Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) has been created to ensure smooth coordination among all agencies active in the Valley -- Army, Intelligence, CRPF, BSF and State Police.

PTI Report adds:

Home Minister Amit Shah Friday accused the Congress of terrorism in Kashmir and responsible for the state's current situation, alleging that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's decisions were behind India losing one-third of its territory to Pakistan.

He was replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the resolution to extend President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir for another six months from July 3.

Shah alleged that the policies of previous Congress governments widened the wedge between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the country.

He said his government is making efforts to bridge this gap and remove terrorism from its roots and restore democracy in the state.

The House passed by voice vote the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, to replace an ordinance issued by previous government, extending President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, amidst opposition from the Congress and some other parties.

The Lok Sabha also cleared the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, to replace an ordinance issued by the previous government.

He told the House that elections in the state will be held in a free, fair and democratic manner once the Election Commission announces the schedule.

Responding to a question, the Minister said assembly elections could not be held along with Lok Sabha elections in the state as large number of security personnel were required for the purpose.

Shah said Article 370 of the Constitution which extends special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is "temporary in nature" and "not permanent".

In his maiden speech as Home Minister in the lower house, Shah launched a blistering attack on the Congress alleging that it made the maximum use of Article 356 of the Constitution to dismiss elected governments in various states in the past.

"Today one-third of Kashmir is not with us. Who announced ceasefire when Pakistan encroached in Kashmir after independence and occupied one-third of its territory.

"Jawaharlal Nehru announced ceasefire and Pakistan took away that part of Kashmir," he said alleging that Nehru did not take the then Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel into confidence.

"If he would have taken Patel into confidence before announcing ceasefire, then Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would not have formed and terrorism would not have existed in Kashmir," Shah said.

He said one-third of Indian territory is with Pakistan now.

The Congress members reacted sharply to this on which Shah said he would not take Nehru's name but referred to him only as the first prime minister.

The Home Minister said the present government adopted "zero tolerance" towards terrorism and people who try to divide the country have fear in their hearts, which will increase in the coming times.

"We are not members of the 'tukde tukde' gang. Those who want to break India should have fear in their hearts...they should be scared and their fear will increase further in the coming times," Shah asserted.

Continuing his tirade against the opposition party, he said so far Article 356 (President's Rule) was imposed 132 times all over the country, of which the Congress used it 93 times to dismiss state governments.

"Some in the opposition said that through President Rule efforts are being made to throttle democracy. 132 times Article 356 has been imposed in the country, of which 93 times was by Congress. We have never used Article 356 for political gains," he said.

The Home Minister also said the government withdrew security of 919 people in the state as there was no security threat for them.

"Earlier people who used to speak against the country were given security cover," he said, adding whereas those who spoke for India were actually killed in the state.

Invoking Vajpayee's philosphy of 'Insaaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kashmiriat', Shah, who is also the BJP chief, said during the Congress' rule at the Centre, the rights of common man was snatched.

"They could not even go for voting (in the state) as their democratic right. It is for the first time that rights were being given to common people and 3 families are taking a backseat," he said while also referring to the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah by the then Congress government.

Shah said this sowed "seed of distrust among people of Jammu and Kashmir that was planted by Congress".

Suggesting that only a strong "medicine" could stop terrorism, Shah said the government at the same time does not want to create an atmosphere of fear.


"We are taking steps to remove the fear which you (Congress) have put in the minds of people," he said, while mentioning various developmental initiatives carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last five years.

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