E-Paper
Amit Shah gets bullet proof glass removed; Mufti says ‘under house arrest for…’
Union home minister Amit Shah blamed the families of the Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the lack of development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Union home minister Amit Shah launched scathing attack on former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti while addressing a gathering in Baramulla on Wednesday. But before that, Shah had his bullet proof glass removed, according to a video shared by Union minister of state Jitendra Singh. (Also Read | ‘From terror to tourism hotspot’: In Baramulla, Shah hails Modi's model)
While the removal of the bullet proof glass was projected by the BJP as return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti claimed that she was put under house arrest for “simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker’s wedding.” Mufti later said that she was “finally allowed to leave my residence” only because the home minister has headed back to Delhi.
Police, however, rejected her claims saying there was no restriction on any kind travel to Pattan and the picture tweeted by the former CM was of “inside of the gate with own lock of residents who stay in the bunglow.”
“There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel,” the police said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader also blamed an “overcautious and paranoid security apparatus” in the Union territory for the death of a civilian who, according to officials, was killed in an “accidental fire” in Pulwama . Asif Ahmad Padroo, 25, was killed on Wednesday when the service weapon of a policeman went off “accidentally” in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Meanwhile, Shah accused the 'Gupkar alliance' – a political alliance between the six regional parties in J-K formed by Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti that seeks the restoration of Article 370 and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir – of "laying a red carpet" for Pakistani terrorists into the country. He said that the "Gupkar model" had presented the youth of the region with stones, closed colleges and machine guns in their hands, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi's model has brought them education.
“There are two models. One of PM Modi which gives employment, peace and brotherhood; and another is the Gupkar model which led to the Pulwama attack. PM Modi made a hospital in Pulwama at an expense of ₹2,000 crore. The Gupkar model is laying the red carpet for the Pakistani terrorists into the country, whereas the Modi model is implementing an investment of ₹56,000 crore on the ground giving employment to the youth,” the minister said.
"Gupkar model placed stones, closed colleges, and machine guns in the hands of the youth. Modi model has IIM, IIT, AIIMS, NIFT, and NEET for the youth. The youth wants education Mr Farooq Abdullah, not stones in their hands," he added.
