Shah: No PM in 70 yrs had courage to repeal Article 370

President of the BJP, Amit Shah, said that while BJP's steadfast stance has been Kashmir is India's internal affair, a Congress leader to Rahul Gandhi, Jeremy Corbyn, of the UK Labor Party, said the situation in Kashmir is not normal. Shah made the remarks while addressing a public rally here on Friday.

"Kamal Dhaliwal, the Overseas Congress Chief, close to Rahul Gandhi, met Jeremy Corbyn (UK Labour Party leader) and said the situation is not normal in Kashmir. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, what does your party want to do by discussing matters of the country with foreign leaders?" Amit Shah asked.

Shah said that no Indian Prime Minister in 70 years, except PM Narendra Modi, showed courage to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"No other Prime Minister in 70 years except Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the courage to repeal Article 370. For the first time, Kashmir has become an integral part of India," Shah said.

Shah also added that the Congress and the NCP have opposed the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and in Maharashtra Assembly polls, the voters should ask them about their stand on Kashmir issue.

"In the integration of Kashmir with India, Article 370 was the biggest hurdle. In 70 years, no other Prime Minister showed the courage to abrogate Article 370 but Narendra Modi did it," he said.

"Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad said in Parliament that river of blood would flow in Kashmir if Article 370 is repealed. But I would like to share with you that not even a drop of blood was flown after Article 370 was revoked," added Shah.

"The Congress and the NCP opposed the abrogation of Article 370. When they come to you asking for votes, you should ask what is their stand on it," said Shah.

"Maharashtra has seen a lot of loot by the NCP-Congress Government in the 15 years they ruled in the State. The Government had started the Adarsh Housing Scheme for widows of our soldiers, but they did not even leave that. They took even those houses away," said Shah.

"I say this with immense pride that there have been no claims of corruption on Devendra Fadnavis in the last five years, and no charges on PM Modi in the last six years. Even the Opposition cannot talk about corruption by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister," he said.

"This is the first election after the abrogation of Article 370. The world needs to know that the entire nation stands together against Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. We want to remove the infiltrators from the country via the NRC, but the Congress has a problem with that too," he added.

He said that the Congress government was silent on terrorist attacks contrary to the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"During the Congress regime, Pakist terrorists used to kill our soldiers, but their Government remained silent. Prime Minister Modi has started answering such attacks with equal ferocity, and India has now killed a lot of terrorists after attacks in Uri and Pulwama," he said

Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, divesting Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and bifurcating it into two UTs -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Maharashtra is scheduled to go to polls on October 21. The BJP is in alliance with the Shiv Sena. The Congress is contesting the polls in alliance with the NCP. The counting of votes will take place on October 24.

( With inputs from ANI )