Chenani, Sep 26 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday rubbished claims of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah of restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, saying that "neither you nor your three generations can do the same".
Addressing a rally in Chenani in support of party candidate Balwant Singh Mankotia, he said that they (Congress-NC) claim that they will restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, but it can be done only by Parliament.
Jammu and Kashmir's statehood will be restored, but it will be done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
Hitting out at Gandhis, Abdullahs and Muftis, he said: "During the rule of three families (Congress, NC, PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, 40,000 people were killed. In the past 35-40 years, curfews were imposed for 3,003 days. However, after Narendra Modi came to power and Article 370 was abrogated, there were no bomb explosions and no stone pelting."
Slamming Omar Abdullah for advocating for Afzal Guru, Union Minister Shah asked the audience whether the Parliament attack convict should have been hanged or not, to which the public replied in affirmative.
He also promised to increase the limit of the golden card for free health treatments from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and assistance from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000.
Citing that the former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had revealed that he was afraid to visit Lal Chowk, Union Minister Shah, highlighting the changed security scenario in the state, said, now anybody can go there.
"Lal Chowk is now celebrating Muharram, Janmashtami with fervour and no untoward incident is being reported," he said.
He promised an international airport in Jammu, a water sports facility in Ranjit Sagar dam, Rs 3,000 to college students as travel allowance, laptops and tablets to children up to higher secondary level.
The Union Minister said: "Udhampur will become a pharmaceutical hub, we will form a hill development board for speedy development of hilly areas in Jammu division."