Lok Sabha elections: Shah targets Omar, Mehbooba over fake encounters, pushing youth towards militancy

Amit Shah was addressing a Lok Sabha election rally here seeking votes for BJP nominee Jugal Kishore Sharma in Jammu-Samba constituency,

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting, ahead of Lok Sabha elections, in Jammu, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (PTI Photo)

Written by: Arun Sharma

3 min readJammuApr 17, 2024 02:51 AM IST First published on: Apr 16, 2024 at 02:28 PM IST

Assuring Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir within the deadline fixed by the Supreme Court, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday appealed to the youth of Kashmir to vote for any party except Congress, National Conference (NC) and the People’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court, while upholding the abrogation of Article 370, had fixed September 30 as the deadline to hold the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

“These three family-centric parties work only for their sons and daughters and not for you,” Shah said, while addressing an election rally here seeking votes for BJP nominee Jugal Kishore Sharma in Jammu-Samba parliamentary constituency.

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Taking a dig at NC and PDP, Home Minister Shah asked as to how many fake encounters have taken place during their rule in Jammu and Kashmir, and who had provided guns in the hands of Kashmiri youth.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jammu, Tuesday. (PTI)

Without naming any party, Shah said that they are making a propaganda that BJP is coming to capture Kashmir. “Let me tell the people of Kashmir that we are not the people who capture, but win hearts,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought about a huge change in the life of Kashmiris.

Referring to NC and PDP accusations that BJP was not fielding its candidates in Kashmir Valley as they would lose their deposit, Home Minister said that the BJP is not in a hurry. “When you like, we will get your vote,” he said.

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He also criticised PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti for her remarks that there will be no one left in Kashmir to hold the Tricolour if Article 370 is abrogated.

Pointing out that while Article 370 is gone already, the Tricolour continues to fly high in the sky. “The Tricolour will continue to fly even if Mehbooba Mufti and Amit Shah remain or not,” he said.

Read | Don’t vote for National Conference if satisfied with Article 370 abrogation: Farooq Abdullah to J-K voters

He also took a swipe at National Conference president Farooq Abdullah for saying that the Modi government even if elected for the 10th time will not be able to abrogate Article 370. “Farooq Abdullah ji, Dasbi baat kya, humbly to usey disarm baat mein hi Gira diya” (what to speak of 10 times, we ended it during our second term), he added.

Former CMs Omar Abdullah of the NC, the son of Farooq Abdullah, is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla while Mehbooba Mufti, the daughter of former CM and PDP founder Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, is contesting from Anantnag.