NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Central government will grant statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after the state assembly elections are completed. He further assured that the state assembly elections will be completed by the Supreme Court deadline of September 30.
“I had said in Parliament that statehood would be given after the assembly elections,” he told news agency PTI in an interview.
“The delimitation process has been completed. Because reservations will be given only after the delimitation process is completed. To give reservations, the status of different castes needs to be known. It has been completed. Lok Sabha elections have also been completed (Jammu and Kashmir). Next are state assembly elections. Those will also be held. We will complete the process before the Supreme Court deadline,” he added.
“Merger of Pakistani Kashmir is part of the BJP’s manifesto.”
Recalling that the policies of the Jawaharlal Nehru government led to India’s loss of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Shah said the merger of Kashmir with India forms part of the BJP’s manifesto.
He said a premature ceasefire by the Nehru government in 1947-48 led to India losing parts of Kashmir.
“Had the ceasefire been declared later on the fourth day, Pakistan Kashmir would have been on our side,” he said.
“This is an issue of great importance for the country,” he said, adding that the merger of Pakistani Kashmir was possible only after much serious discussion.
Why was the Lok Sabha election held in Kashmir? Kashmir’s constitution no longer exists
The Election Commission on Saturday said three constituencies in the Kashmir Valley – Srinagar (38.49%), Baramulla (59.1%) and Anantnag Rajouri (53%) – recorded their highest voter turnout “in recent decades”.
Shah attributed the high voter turnout in Kashmir to the policies of Prime Minister Modi’s government, saying, “Voter turnout has increased. Some people earlier said that Kashmiris do not believe in the Indian Constitution. But the Kashmiri constitution no longer exists, so this election was held under the Indian Constitution. The Kashmiri constitution has been abolished. The election was held under the Indian Constitution. Those who want an independent state, those who want to be with Pakistan, both at the organisational and individual level, voted in overwhelming numbers.”
“This is a huge victory for democracy and a major success of the Narendra Modi government’s Kashmir policy which it has pursued for the last 10 years,” he added.
Asked why the BJP had not fielded a candidate from the Kashmir valley, Shah said, “We will definitely field a candidate in future. Our organisation is expanding and is in the process of being strengthened.”
“I had said in Parliament that statehood would be given after the assembly elections,” he told news agency PTI in an interview.
“The delimitation process has been completed. Because reservations will be given only after the delimitation process is completed. To give reservations, the status of different castes needs to be known. It has been completed. Lok Sabha elections have also been completed (Jammu and Kashmir). Next are state assembly elections. Those will also be held. We will complete the process before the Supreme Court deadline,” he added.
“Merger of Pakistani Kashmir is part of the BJP’s manifesto.”
Recalling that the policies of the Jawaharlal Nehru government led to India’s loss of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Shah said the merger of Kashmir with India forms part of the BJP’s manifesto.
He said a premature ceasefire by the Nehru government in 1947-48 led to India losing parts of Kashmir.
“Had the ceasefire been declared later on the fourth day, Pakistan Kashmir would have been on our side,” he said.
“This is an issue of great importance for the country,” he said, adding that the merger of Pakistani Kashmir was possible only after much serious discussion.
Why was the Lok Sabha election held in Kashmir? Kashmir’s constitution no longer exists
The Election Commission on Saturday said three constituencies in the Kashmir Valley – Srinagar (38.49%), Baramulla (59.1%) and Anantnag Rajouri (53%) – recorded their highest voter turnout “in recent decades”.
Shah attributed the high voter turnout in Kashmir to the policies of Prime Minister Modi’s government, saying, “Voter turnout has increased. Some people earlier said that Kashmiris do not believe in the Indian Constitution. But the Kashmiri constitution no longer exists, so this election was held under the Indian Constitution. The Kashmiri constitution has been abolished. The election was held under the Indian Constitution. Those who want an independent state, those who want to be with Pakistan, both at the organisational and individual level, voted in overwhelming numbers.”
“This is a huge victory for democracy and a major success of the Narendra Modi government’s Kashmir policy which it has pursued for the last 10 years,” he added.
Asked why the BJP had not fielded a candidate from the Kashmir valley, Shah said, “We will definitely field a candidate in future. Our organisation is expanding and is in the process of being strengthened.”
