NEW DELHI
\nIndian Home Minister Amit Shah, in his first rally in Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, ruled out talks with Pakistan, accusing it of fomenting terrorism.
\nSpeaking in Baramulla for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Mr Shah focused his ire on the \u201cthree families that ruled Kashmir for seventy years\u201d.
\nThe Indian Express quoted him as saying that elections to the Indian-held J&K Assembly would be held as soon as the election commission completes the process of revision of electoral rolls.
\n\u201cSome people are giving me suggestions that I should talk to Pakistan, those who have ruled here for seventy years are giving me suggestions,\u201d Mr Shah told the rally. \u201cBut I am clear, I don\u2019t want to talk to Pakistan. I would talk to Gujjars and Paharis of Baramulla. I will talk to the youth of Kashmir.
\n\u201cThey (Pakistan) have spread terrorism here. What good have they done for Kashmir.\u201d
\nThe rally was held in Baramulla amid multi-tier security arrangements, the Express said.
\nIt was attended by over 10,000 people, most of whom were from the areas near the Line of Control like Tangdhar, Uri and Bandipora.
\nMr Shah used a large part of his 25-minute speech to slam the \u201cthree families that have ruled Kashmir for 70 years\u201d. While the BJP leaders have often hit out at the families of Abdullahs and Muftis, it was for the first time that Shah brought Gandhis, too, in the line of his attack.
\n\u201cI saw a tweet of Mehbooba (Mufti) ji. She had said that the home minister should go back only after giving account of what they have given to Kashmir,\u201d Mr Shah said. \u201cMehbooba ji, listen with open ears and eyes, what we have done, I will give its account, but what you and Farooq (Abdullah) Sahib have done, you should give that account later\u2026
\n\u201cI have come here to ask you, Mehbooba and Farooq Sahib, tell us how much investment has come to Kashmir in 70 years, how many industries have been set up, how many factories have been opened and how many youth have been given employment.
\n\u201c(There has been an investment of) only 15,000 crore (rupees) in 70 years. In three years, (prime minister) Modi ji brought an investment of 56,000 crore.\u201d
\nThe home minister said the Modi government\u2019s \u201cachievement\u201d was to take democracy to the grassroots in held Jammu and Kashmir. \u201cBefore that democracy was limited to 87 legislators, six parliamentarians and three families \u2014 Mufti family, Abdullah family and Gandhi family,\u201d he claimed. \u201cWe have taken it to villages, to 30,000 panches and sarpanches (local bodies).\u201d
\nMr Shah said 42,000 people had been killed in J&K due to terrorism since 1990. \u201cWho is responsible for the deaths of these 42,000 people? The three families, who ruled Kashmir for 70 years, are responsible,\u201d he alleged. \u201cYou know the most difficult thing is to shoulder the coffin of your son. But 42,000 people have been killed here. Has the son of any leader been killed ever?
\n\u201cWe want that the fear of separatism should go away from Kashmir, terrorism should go away and Kashmir becomes the paradise of India.\u201d
\nHe said Kashmir was a \u201chotspot of terrorism\u201d earlier, but had now turned into a \u201chotspot of tourism\u201d under the BJP dispensation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, in his first rally in Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, ruled out talks with Pakistan, accusing it of fomenting terrorism. Speaking in Baramulla for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Mr Shah focused his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-287854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n