New Delhi: Hitting back at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi bringing up the revocation of certain constitutional privileges under Article 370 from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir at a rally in Rajasthan’s Churu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday it was “shameful” for the former to question what the people of the city had to do with it.
Responding to PM Modi’s poll pitch in Churu, Kharge said, “We heard how PM Modi boasted of the revocation of Article 371 from Jammu and Kashmir here in Churu. Arey bhai, yahan ke logon se kya wasta hai? (What have the people here got to do with it?) Let him go to Jammu and Kashmir and talk about it.”
In a scathing counter, the Union Minister, while reminding the Congress president that it wasn’t “Article 371, but Article 370, that was abrogated by the Modi government”, said “every state and citizen has the right over J&K, just as the people of J&K have the right over the rest of India”.
Asserting the Jammu and Kashmir was an “integral” part of the country, Shah also reminded the Congress of the sacrifices the “brave sons of Rajasthan” made for the “peace and security” of the region.
“The Congress doesn’t know that many brave sons of Rajasthan have sacrificed their lives for peace and security in Kashmir. But it is not merely the fault of the Congress leaders. It is mostly the Italian culture of the Congress party that is to blame for not understanding the very idea of India. Such statements hurt every patriotic citizen who cares for the unity and integrity of the nation. People will certainly answer Congress,” Shah posted on his official X handle, tagging a video clip of Kharge’s statement.
Rubbing it in further after pointing to Kharge’s erroneous reference to “Article 371” as opposed to Article 370 that the was abrogated by the Centre, Shah added, “…it is only expected of Congress to make such horrendous mistakes. Such blunders made by it have haunted our nation for decades now.”
However, responding to Shah’s post, Congress’s Rajasthan president Govind Singh Dotasra told ANI, “Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sekhawati are areas dominated by farmers. What good would it do for the farmers here for the PM to come and talk about the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir? The people are asking for education, employment, good health services and development. Mere statements and big talk won’t do any good to them.”
Kharge 'Inadvertently' Exposed Modi-Shah Game Plan On Article 371: Congress
Meanwhile defending Kharge, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit back at the BJP claiming the party chief "inadvertently" exposed the 'Modi-Shah' game plan of wanting to make changes in Article 371.
Ramesh posted on X, "Today by a slip of the tongue in his speech in Jaipur, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji mistakenly said that Modi claims credit for abolishing Article 371. Kharge ji clearly meant Article 370."
"Amit Shah immediately pounced on the Congress President. But the truth is that Modi does indeed want to change Article 371-A relating to Nagaland, Article 371-B relating to Assam, Article 371-C relating to Manipur, Article 371-F relating to Sikkim, Article 371-G relating to Mizoram, and Article 371-H relating to Arunachal Pradesh," he added.