BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday said West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Mamata Banerjee has extended support to those who wish to divide the country by separating Kashmir from India.
Addressing a rally at the Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, Mr. Shah said his party will continue its fight to ensure that Kashmir remains an integral part of the country, no matter who is in power at the Centre.
“Today, we are in power; Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister. In the coming days too, he will continue as the PM. But if a day comes when the BJP is no longer at the helm, its workers will still fight to ensure that Kashmir remains an integral part of India,” he said.
He said if the party is re-elected to power, it will scrap Article 370 of the Constitution in Kashmir, which grants special status to the State.
“Give us 30 seats from West Bengal and we will scrap Article 370 from Kashmir after forming the next BJP government at the Centre,” Mr. Shah claimed.
Mr. Shah also insisted that Ms. Banerjee should clear her stance on National Conference chief Omar Abdullah’s demand for a separate Prime Minister in Kashmir.
“Mamata didi is supporting those who wish to divide India. We want to know what she has to say on Omar Abdullah’s demand for two Prime Ministers in the country,” he said.
He referred to the infiltrators as “termites” who eat into country’s resources. Mr. Shah asserted that his party will throw them out after coming to power at the Centre for a second term.
“It is our commitment to implement National Register of Citizens [NRC] across the country to weed out the infiltrators. First, we will bring the Citizenship [Amendment] Bill to ensure that eligible refugees get citizenship, and then we will introduce NRC to throw out the infiltrators.”
The Bongaon Lok Sabha seat has a sizeable Matua population that had migrated to West Bengal from Bangladesh in the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution.
With an estimated population of 30 lakh in the State, the community can influence poll results in at least five Lok Sabha seats in Bengal.
The BJP president claimed that lawlessness has increased in the State. “The State, which was once known for its rich culture, is now a hub of “bomb and illegal gun-making factories. Other than bomb manufacturing units, no factory has been set up in the State under the Mamata Banerjee government,” he maintained.
“The sound of bomb explosions has silenced Rabindra sangeet in Bengal. Under the TMC rule, all three — mother, motherland and people — are suffering,” he said, referring to the TMC slogan of “maa, mati, manush ” .
