Amit Shah urges Congress and NC to stop 'fooling' voters on J&K statehood

In his address on the final day of his visit to Jammu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused the Congress and National Conference (NC) of misleading voters regarding Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Shah, speaking to a rally in the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections, reiterated that the central government will restore statehood at an "appropriate time" following the elections.

"The Congress and NC are claiming they will restore statehood, but only the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have the power to do so," Shah asserted. "Stop fooling the people. We have committed to restoring statehood at an appropriate time after the election, as stated in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi should cease misleading the public."

Shah, who unveiled the BJP's manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, also dismissed any possibility of a Congress-NC coalition forming a government in the region. "Based on my experience, such a coalition will never be successful in Jammu and Kashmir," he added.

Addressing Rahul Gandhi directly, Shah said that the BJP would protect the reservation rights of Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis, and Dalits, and reaffirmed that there would be no discussions with Pakistan regarding the region.

Shah highlighted the historic nature of the upcoming elections, noting that it will be the first time J&K votes under the Indian tricolor, following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which removed the region's special status.