J&K statehood at appropriate time: Amit Shah

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 13

The government today said full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored at the appropriate time and 6,000 Kashmiri Pandits would be resettled in the Valley by 2022.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha before the passage of The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Amendment Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said the Bill aimed to merge the J&K cadre of officers with the all-India AGMUT cadre for better administration. He defended the abrogation of Article 370, saying it had enabled large-scale development and facilitated the extension of 170 laws, including the quota policy.

“Nowhere does the current Bill say statehood will not be granted. The statehood will be given at the appropriate time,” Shah said after Opposition MPs Hasnain Masoodi (NC), Manish Tewari (Congress) and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) opposed the Bill and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s statutory resolution seeking its withdrawal was rejected by a voice vote.

The minister attacked “three families that ruled J&K for 70 years” and asked, “Did these three families that ruled J&K for 70 years ever give an account of their work? We will give an account, but let these people look within and ask whether they have the right to ask others for accounts.” Listing a range of works undertaken in the UT after August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was scrapped, the government said it would defend the move in the apex court which had referred 15 petitions challenging the abrogation to a Constitutional Bench.

“Had the move been unconstitutional, the SC could have stayed it. But there is no stay. Should development be suspended till the matter is decided? Nowhere does the legal status say the move can’t be implemented,” Shah said after Masoodi called for halting the implementation of the move till the matter was sub judice.

On Tewari’s suggestion that the government seek an early hearing in the SC, Shah said, “The Congress is not even before the SC. It has no position — yes or no. The hearing has been delayed because such a sensitive matter cannot be heard virtually.”

On the post Article 370 phase in J&K, Home Minister quoted BR Ambedkar to say, “Kings will now be born in J&K from the ballot of voters and not from the wombs of queens.” The minister was referring to successful conduct of panchayat and district development council polls and said 21 subjects of governance, including mining, had been decentralised in J&K and Rs 1,500 crore provided for the works.

The minister also rejected Congress’ allegations that 4G was restored under foreign pressure. On charges of human rights violations, Shah said, “These charges are relevant to times when three families ruled J&K. They never cared for the rights of West Pakistan refugees, Valmikis and Kashmiri Pandits because these people didn’t comprise their vote bank.”

Shah invited sharp reactions after he said their government “worked on feelings, not laws”. “The Modi government does not work on laws. Modi government does not work on schemes and planning. It works on sentiments. We believe Jammu and Kashmir is ours. The people of J&K are ours. The whole country stands with Jammu and Kashmir. J&K will get statehood the moment development of the region, derailed by the “three-family rule”, is restored to an appropriate level,” Shah said.

Congress MP Ravneet Bittu attacked Shah saying, “We knew all along that this government does what it feels right… it has no care for laws.”

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