Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Patna for an opposition parties’ meeting, stating that Gandhi opposes everything. Shah disregarded the gathering of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parties as a mere “photo session” and confidently asserted that Narendra Modi would secure a third term as Prime Minister in the upcoming 2024 national elections. Laughing off attempts to form a united front against the BJP, Shah confidently stated that the BJP would secure over 300 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha.
Speaking at a rally in Jammu, which coincided with the opposition meeting in Patna, Shah highlighted Modi’s recent visit to the United States, where he was honored as a state guest. Shah emphasized the significant agreements and investments in various fields such as space, defense, and semiconductors, attributing India’s rise from the 11th largest economy a decade ago to the fifth largest to Modi’s efforts.
Shah paid tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the BJP’s precursor Bharatiya Jana Sangh, who vigorously campaigned against Article 370 and died while under detention in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in 1953. Shah mentioned that Mookerjee had resigned as a Union minister in protest against the introduction of Article 370 and was subsequently arrested and “murdered.” He asserted that Modi’s revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, would bring peace to Mookerjee’s soul.
Shah tackled a significant issue in his speech – highlighting noteworthy successes under BJP’s governance over nine years. While doing so, he made an essential parallel by comparing it against alleged major corruption scandals that occurred during Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) administration with respect and grace. He praised Modi’s efforts in combating corruption and providing essential facilities to 600 million poor people, emphasizing the absence of corruption allegations against the Modi government.
Shah further criticized the Abdullah, Mufti, and Gandhi families for the issues faced by Jammu and Kashmir, attributing the lack of development in the region to the presence of Article 370 and the control of these families. He claimed that a new J&K had emerged under Modi’s leadership, terrorism had been contained, and development was progressing. Shah cited statistics to demonstrate the reduction in terror incidents and improved security situation in the region.