Hummingbird News Desk
DELHI, 13 FEB: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill has nothing to do with the statehood of J&K and that the latter will be restored at an “appropriate time”. The bill to merge the J&K cadre of all-India services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre was later passed by the Lok Sabha by a voice vote.
Delivering a speech to support the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to replace an ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of civil services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, Shah clarified that the Bill has nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking in the lower house of the Parliament, today, Shah said, “Many MPs said that bringing Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 means J&K won’t get statehood. I am piloting the Bill, I brought it. I have clarified the intentions. Nowhere it’s written that J&K won’t get statehood. Where are you drawing conclusion from?”
“We will give statehood. I have already said that it is a temporary system.”
On the opposition’s question about what happened in 17 months in J&K after the withdrawal of Article 370, the Minister questioned: “what about your 70 years rule if your are asking about our work?.”
“They should first think about themselves before asking me this question.”
The government had established Panchayati Raj in the Union Territory with 51.7 per cent voting without firing any single bullet, Shah said while giving an account of the Central government’s work in Jammu and Kashmir. He later listed steps taken so far for the welfare of people in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah said, “Jammu and Kashmir is in our hearts.”
He requested not to politicise J-K and Ladakh. “If you want a political fight, come in the ring & let’s compete. Nobody is scared. It’s (J-K & Ladakh) a sensitive part of our country. They have been hurt and have doubts. This House’s responsibility is to comfort them, not scrape their wounds,” Shah said.
Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority of the NDA government since it took power in 2014, he said.
Responding to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Shah said opposition parties were free to visit the region. Chowdhury had claimed that foreign delegations were being taken there while no all-party delegation was sent.
The home minister assured the people of J&K that “no one will lose their land”. The government has sufficient land for development works, Shah stated.
