Amit Shah takes 'kaala chashma' jibe at Rahul Gandhi on J&K situation

Amit Shah criticised previous governments for failing to take firm action on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Updated on: Mar 22, 2025, 01:10:48 IST

By HT News Desk

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Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday took a sharp jibe at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi while speaking in the Rajya Sabha on counter-terrorism operations and development in Jammu and Kashmir.

Union home minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday, March 21, 2025. (Sansad TV/PTI)

"If someone is sitting with kaala chashma (black glasses) on, how is it possible to show them the development?" Shah asked in a swipe towards the Congress leader, according to ANI.

He also spoke about Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir, saying that the Congress leader had claimed to see terrorists from afar.

"Arre bhai, nazar mein hi aatankwadi hai toh sapne mein bhi aayega aur Kashmir mein bhi" (If someone has terrorist in their mind, he will appear in your dreams as well as in Kashmir), Shah said.

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In his address to the Upper House, Shah criticised previous governments for failing to take firm action on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Terrorists used to enter Kashmir from the neighbouring country, they used to execute bomb blasts and murders here. There was not one festival which used to be celebrated without any worry. Central Governments had a flexible attitude. They used to be quiet and were scared of speaking. They were worried about their vote bank,” Shah said.

"But after PM Modi came to power, we displayed a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism," he added, according to ANI.

He also highlighted the surgical strike in 2016 and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, which were India's direct responses to the Uri and Pulwama attacks.

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"There were attacks even after we came to power -- on Uri and Pulwama. Within 10 days, we responded with surgical and airstrikes. The zero-tolerance policy against terrorism started there," Shah noted.

The home minister credited the removal of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, as a historic move that ended separatism in Kashmir. "We all know Article 370 was the base for separatism in Kashmir...I also want to thank the framers of the Constitution who made 370 temporary. On 5th August 2019, we removed Article 370," Shah said, according to ANI.

(Inputs from ANI)

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