Jammu, June 23 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah, on Saturday, during his maiden visit to the winter capital of J&K after the collapse of the Peoples Democratic Party-BJP Government, lashed out at former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for failure to ensure equitable development of Jammu and Ladakh regions, besides restore peace in the Kashmir valley, which forced a parting of ways.
'PDP-govt failed to implement mega projects despite liberal funding by the Narendra Modi-led Centre,' Mr Shah told a function to mark ‘Balidan Divas’ of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee here in the heart of the city.
He said,' In Jammu, the PDP leadership did not allot land for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences. We have the right to seek answers from PDP on these.'
Mr Shah said he knew well that his observations would spark off a political debate in the state and the nation.
Referring to the PDP-BJP government’s performance in the past three years, he made a veiled attack on the regime, saying that 'peace' could not prevail.
'Maintaining peace and ensuring equitable development in all three regions of the state were part of the Common Minimum Programme. But peace has not prevailed,' the BJP leader said.
He also dwelt on episodes of stone pelting at the security forces, saying that youths actively took part in them.
'Under PDP, discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh regions continued, despite the Narendra Modi government sending in huge funds. So we thought we should come out of the government,' Mr Shah said.
“We pulled out because Mehbooba Mufti-led govt failed to ensure equitable governance and development of all three regions, particularly Jammu and Ladakh, besides its inability to restore peace in Kashmir,” said the BJP stalwart.
He said that on one hand, the BJP was the only party, which rejoiced and celebrated the fall of its own government in Jammu and Kashmir but simultaneously, 'controversial' remarks by Congress leaders’ Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saif-ud-din Soz, showed their 'pro-Pakistan' ideology.
He challenged Congress president Rahul Gandhi, to tender an apology for the pro-Pakistan statements by the two party leaders.
'In fact, what Mr Azad said, I cannot even repeat.....What kind of relationship is there between Congress leaders and the (militant outfit) Lashkar-e-Taiba. What kind of relationship is this that the opinion of Lashkar-e-Taiba is the same as that of Congress leader like Ghulam Nabi Azad,' Mr Shah said.
'This shows that ours is a party of desh bhakts (patriots)....for us, power does not matter much,' he added.
'BJP holds all the right to ask them (PDP) as why Jammu and Ladakh were discriminated against in the implementation of developmental projects. They (PDP) will have to answer for this,' said Mr Shah adding, 'What is the use of staying in a government, which does not allow development in Jammu or Ladakh regions?'
The Narendra Modi government has, in the past three years, released Rs 80,000 crore funds for the state but they were not utilised by the PDP headed government at par in all the three regions.
Mr Shah said BJP could not be party to a dispensation in the state, which could not protect army jawan Aurangzeb or senior editor Shujaat Bukhari.
Aurangzeb, abducted by terrorists on the eve of Ed-ul-Fitr, was later found dead in Pulwama while Shujaat Bukhari was shot dead by gunmen in broad daylight in a high-security zone when he was going to participate in Iftaar.
Mr Shah also alleged that the Congress party had alliance governments with National Conference and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir but looted the people to fill its coffers.
Affirming that Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Pandit Prem Nath Dogra always remained an inspiration for the BJP, Mr Shah said, 'Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and no force can separate it.'
The BJP chieftain, however, made no mention of ‘abrogation of Article 370’, which was widely expected by the people of Jammu.
UNI VBH RP2037