Shah launches 3 yatras in Guj, eyes two-thirds majority in poll

At an event in Zanzarka village in Ahmedabad district, Shah accused the Congress of misgovernance and hurting religious sentiments while flagging off three Gujarat Gaurav Yatras.

Jawaharlal Nehru created a “mess” in Jammu and Kashmir by bestowing it special status but the Narendra Modi government rectified the error by nullifying Article 370, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Thursday as he exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win two-thirds majority in upcoming polls in Gujarat.

Union home minister Amit Shah said the BJP will win the upcoming polls with a two-thirds majority because the people of Gujarat put their faith in the party. (PTI)

At an event in Zanzarka village in Ahmedabad district, Shah accused the Congress of misgovernance and hurting religious sentiments while flagging off three Gujarat Gaurav Yatras,one from Sant Savaiyanath temple at Zanzarka village and other two routes were from Unai Mata temple in Vansda taluka of Navsari district. Gujarat goes to the poll later this year.

“Due to the mistake of Jawaharlal Nehru, who inserted Article 370, Kashmir was in a mess... it could not be properly integrated with the rest of the country. Everybody wanted the removal of Article 370. Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed it in one stroke and completed integration of Kashmir with the country,” Shah said.

He was referring to the Union government’s decision in August 2019 to effectively abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to the region, and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

In his 15-minute speech, Shah said the BJP will win the upcoming polls with a two-thirds majority because the people of Gujarat put their faith in the party. “The BJP carried out several developmental works in Gujarat. As a result, every election, be it at the corporation, district or taluka level, Vidhan Sabha or Lok Sabha level, the people of Gujarat have ensured BJP’s victory,” he said at the yatra inauguration event in Zanzarka.

In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP had secured 99 out of 182 seats, while the Congress won 77 seats. This year, Gujarat is likely to witness a three-cornered fight as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to make inroads into the state. The BJP is looking for its sixth straight term in the state, and virtually changed the entire government last year to beat anti-incumbency.

Speaking on the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, Shah said the Congress used to mock the BJP with slogans such as “mandir wahi banayenge par tithi nahi batayenge” (the temple will be built but can’t say when). “But the dates were declared, the ground breaking ceremony was completed and a grand temple is coming up at the promised place,” he added. The construction of the Ram Temple began in August 2020, after a landmark Supreme Court verdict paved the way, and it is likely to be completed in 2024.

The Union minister said Gujarat witnessed communal riots instead of development when the Congress was in power. “It is not only the BJP that has ruled in Gujarat. Were you getting round-the-clock electricity during Congress’s time? Were you getting waters of Maa Narmada before Modi ji (came to power)? Did Sanand and Ahmedabad district see industrial development before BJP? The Congress did not give water, industrial growth or electricity. They only gave communal riots,” he alleged.

Reacting to the criticism, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “Nehru didn’t dictatorially insert Article 370 in Constitution. It was discussed unlike notebandi. Patel, Ambedkar & Syama Prasad Mukherjee didn’t object. Ayyangar who had worked in J&K drafted it. Nobody resigned over it. Amit Shah is as much a superspreader of lies as his Saheb (sic)”.

“The country’s home minister needs to read history to know Nehru’s role in Kashmir. This is not Gaurav Yatra but Goodbye Yatra for the BJP. Their time is over in Gujarat,” said Manish Doshi, Gujarat Congress spokesperson.

Under the BJP government, there was no sign of curfew, Shah said. “Ever since the BJP came to power in Gujarat, peace, development, security, and prosperity have become the mantra for success. Today, you have the world’s largest stadium here, diamond bourse has come up in the state, Ahmedabad has emerged as a sports hub, a world-class traditional medicine centre has come up, the first international financial city GIFT City is in Gujarat. Prosperity has travelled to every home in the state,” he said.

As part of the poll campaign, Shah flagged off one yatra from Sant Savaiyanath temple in Zanzarka in Ahmedabad district. This yatra will conclude at Somnath Temple town. He also launched two other yatras from Unai Mata temple in Vansda taluka in Navsari district. From Unai, one yatra will go to Ambaji Temple covering the tribal belt of the state, while another one will reach Fagvel temple town in Kheda district.

The party has launched five yatras across the state in two days so far. The first two were flagged off by BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday.

Shah said the yatras were being held to celebrate the achievements of the state in the last 20 years, after Narendra Modi became chief minister in 2001.

“Many asked me what is the ‘gaurav’ or pride in the yatra? Under Modi ji’s leadership, the people of Gujarat have time and again reposed their faith in the BJP for 20 years and BJP has always lived up to their expectations. In these years, Gujarat has become the country’s top most state and this yatra is to celebrate this feat,” he said.

The yatras are expected to cover a distance of 5,700 kms and witness the participation of several Union ministers and BJP leaders.