Amit Shah mocks Rahul Gandhi over Kashmir: ‘No one has guts to…’

Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday evening took potshots at PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for predicting turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir over the removal of Article 370, saying no one has the guts to throw stones in the union territory now.

He took the jibe at a roadshow in Rajasthan’s Udaipur.

Amit Shah said Mufti and ‘Rahul Baba’ used to predict bloodbath in Jammu and Kashmir if the special status was removed.

“In Kashmir, (Peoples Democratic Party chief) Mehbooba Mufti and (Congress leader) Rahul Baba (Gandhi) used to say there would be bloodbath here once Article 370 is removed…Rahul Baba, five years have passed (since the abrogation of Article 370). This is the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leave alone the talk of the bloodbath, no one has the guts to throw a stone there,” Amit Shah said, per ANI.

In 2019, the Central government revoked the special status provided to Jammu and Kashmir by Article 370. It had also bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories.

Meanwhile, in an interview with NDTV, Amit Shah responded to the Opposition’s charge that there would be a change in the Constitution if the BJP is voted to power again. He said the BJP government had never misused its majority over the past 10 years and that it was the Congress that had misused its majority when it was in power at the Centre.

Amit Shah also clarified that the BJP would never change the policy of providing reservation to the marginalised communities.

On Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the BJP had extorted donations through bonds, Amit Shah pointed out that the Opposition also received money from these individuals and companies.

“Their (opposition) parties have also received donations through bonds. Is that extortion as well? Rahul Gandhi must tell the people,” he told the news channel.

Voting in 12 seats in Rajasthan concluded on Friday, in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The remaining 13 seats will got to polls in the second phase, on April 26. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.

In 2019, the BJP registered a sweeping victory, winning 24 out of 25 seats.