“How can anyone trust your intentions”: Congress leader on Amit Shah’s claim on J&K statehood

MORADABAD: After Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised that only the central government and Prime Minister Modi are authorised to give statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader Kunwar Danish Ali on Tuesday said that how can anyone trust their intentions as they are the ones who snatched it by removing Article 370?

Danish Ali said, “They snatched away the statehood of J&K and now in the elections they are saying that they will give it back. ‘Aapki niyat par kaise bharosa kiya jaye’ (How to trust your intention). You had said that you will end terrorism from there but 10 years have passed, and all the experiments have been done, Article 370 has been removed but terrorism is still there. Even today soldiers of the army are getting martyred.”

On September 7, Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged the claim of the Congress and National Conference that their alliance would restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that only the central government and Prime Minister Modi have that authority.

“Congress and National Conference are saying they will restore statehood. Tell me who can give it? It is only the Central government, PM Modi who can give it. So stop fooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have said that at an appropriate time after the elections, we will give statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We have said this in Parliament… Rahul Gandhi should stop misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said.

The Congress released its Manifesto for J&K polls on Monday. The 10 points on governance said that Congress will provide inclusive and accountable governance by ensuring that the Central Government grants statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Assembly polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases. The first phase of voting will be held on September 18, the second on September 25 and the third on October 1. Votes will be counted on October 8. (ANI)