Amit Shah in Jharkhand: BJP chief reiterates BJP's ‘decisiveness' against terror, says Manmohan Singh kept ‘silent’ after cross-border violence

Daltonganj: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday slammed the UPA government, alleging that former prime minister Manmohan Singh kept “silent” when terrorists from Pakistan beheaded Indian soldiers. But, now for every bullet fired from across the border, the response is given with double the force, he told a rally in Jharkhand’s Daltonganj town. “Under former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Pakistan’s alia, malia and balia (referring to terrorists) used to come and take away heads of our jawans after killing them. Even today, I can’t forget the incident of Hemraj’s beheading and his disrespect. But ‘mouni (silent) baba’ Manmohan Singh did not even utter a word,” Shah said. On 8 January, 2013, Lance Naik Hemraj was beheaded by Pakistan’s Border Action Team along the Indo-Pak border, triggering a nationwide outrage. The BJP chief said, “Ab goli ka jawab gola se, int ka jawab pathar se”. Shah was campaigning for BJP’s sitting MP from Palamu and former DGP Vishun Dayal Ram. He hit out at National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for advocating a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that the state is an inseparable part of India. “We will remove Article 370 (of the Constitution) if you make Narendra Modi prime minister again,” he said. The article grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. [caption id=“attachment_6360471” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of BJP president Amit Shah. ANI[/caption] “Omar Abdullah wants a separate prime minister for Kashmir. Should there be two prime ministers for one country?” Shah asked the gathering, which responded resoundingly in the negative. He said as long as there is life in the last BJP worker, nobody can separate Kashmir from India. “Kashmir is the crown of India and nobody can snatch it,” Shah asserted. Taking a swipe at the Congress for seeking proof of the Balakot airstrike, he said “When the nation was rejoicing…the Congress and Pakistan were mourning” He also slammed Gandhi family’s close aide Sam Pitroda for asking for more facts on the strike, which was conducted by the Indian Air Force on a terrorist camp in Pakistan’s Balakot following the Pulwama terror attack in February. “When terrorists from Pakistan struck the CPRF convoy in Pulwama on 14 February, killing 40 personnel, the country was angry and in despair,” Shah said. The BJP chief claimed that Pakistan knew about the surgical strike following the 2016 Uri terror attack and had sent personnel and tanks on the border. Training his guns on the Opposition alliance, Shah alleged that whenever they came to power, they indulged in “massive corruption” and even made an independent legislator chief minister of Jharkhand. He was referring to Madhu Koda, who is an accused in a coal scam case. Shah took a swipe at the opposition Congress-led alliance for not naming their prime ministerial candidate, saying if the grouping is elected they will have a new prime minister everyday, except Sunday. Jharkhand is endowed with mineral resources, but its people are poor. But, in the last five years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and Raghubar Das dispensation in the state ushered development, he said. The BJP chief highlighted 133 welfare programmes initiated during the last five years. Roads were improved, electricity has been provided and work on the Mandal dam began in Palamau and Latehar districts, he said. Cooking gas and ovens, housing and toilet facilities were also given to the poor, Shah said, adding that the Modi government has taken steps to give pension to farmers above the age of 60 years.