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‘Article 370 will be scrapped’, Amit Shah reiterates in Chamba
The BJP’s manifesto also promises to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution which applies to Jammu and Kashmir.
On the home stretch of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP President Amit Shah reiterated on Sunday that Article 370 of the Constitution that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir will be scrapped if Narendra Modi returns as Prime Minister.
At an election rally in Chamba district, he also slammed former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for his statement about a separate Prime Minister for Kashmir.
“They want to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India. But let me tell you that even if not in power BJP would not let you do so,” he said.
He also criticised the Congress for its manifesto where the party said it will review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA in Kashmir and amend provisions of the sedition law.
He put the Congress in his line of fire over national security and said that while the previous government did not retaliate against terrorism, India carried out air strikes in Balakot under Modi in response to the Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers.
Also read: Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Congress, BJP big guns to bolster last leg of campaigning in Himachal Pradesh
“Should there be any talks with the terrorist who kill our soldiers?” Shah asked the crowd who replied in the negative.
Shah said that it was the first ever election in which inflation or corruption was not an issue for the opposition. “Modi government kept the inflation in check and is committed to eradicate corruption from the country,” he said and sought votes in Modi’s name.
“Don’t vote for BJP candidate for all these works but for the reason that Modi and BJP made this country secure,” Shah said.
In the last five years, he said the Modi government worked for the uplift of the poor, to secure the nation and took the national pride to new heights.
He also listed various projects sanctioned by centre government for Himachal including, AIIMS, IIM, national highways, medical colleges and tourism projects.
Shah, who arrived an hour late at the venue, began his speech describing Himachal Pradesh as “veerbhumi” for a large number of youth who join army.
Elections for all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh will be held in the last phase on May 19.
