Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday lashed out at the sitting MP and National Conference chief Dr. Farooq Abdullah for advocating dialogue with Pakistan and said we will talk to the youth of Kashmir and not Pakistan.

Shah, who at the end of his 3-days visit was addressing elected representatives of Panchayats in Srinagar. Quoting news reports, he said, “Dr Farooq sahib has suggested that I should talk to Pakistan. Let me clarify, if I will talk, I will talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and its youth only, no one else.”

“Today, I am speaking my heart-out. I was posed a series of questions by certain Kashmir leaders. Today, I am replying to them without a bullet-proof shield or security personnel.”

Wearing a Kashmiri traditional Pheran (long coat), Shah said he had come to Kashmir for the first-time post abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019. “I am often asked by some people why curfew was imposed in Kashmir and the internet snapped when the special status of J&K was abrogated. Let me answer today. This was done to protect and save the lives of the youth. We didn’t want vested interests and anti-peace elements to exploit the situation and push the youth on roads to face bullets,” Shah said. “This step was taken to save the lives of Kashmiri youth.”

He said that so far 40,000 people including security forces personnel, terrorists and civilians in J&K. “It is time to come out of this bloodshed now and march towards a new journey of pace, development and prosperity. I promise, J&K will by 2024 get what it deserves,” the Home Minister said.

Lashing out at the NC and PDP, Shah said that the leaders of these two parties never condemned those who killed civilians. “Time has gone when terrorists would exploit the situation. No one will be allowed to kill civilians and we assure you that peace will remain intact in J&K.”

Shah said there was rumour mongering in J&K post Article 370 roll back that land and jobs of people would be snatched. “Give me one example of any village where land of any person has been snatched”. “Under the leadership of J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, 20,000 jobs have been provided to the youth and 6000 more are in offing.”

He, however, said that unlike previous regimes, especially two-families that ruled for 70 years, jobs will be given to those only who deserve it. “Time is over now when people of J&K would have to pay money for jobs. Nepotism and Corruption is over,” he said.

Taking a dig at NC and PDP, Shah said those questioning him should answer as to why youth were deprived of becoming Sarpanches and Panches of the grassroots panchayat institutions.

He said that militancy is on decline in J&K and efforts to replace guns and stones with books and pens have borne the fruit. “These parties demanded talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat. This way, they choked Kashmir’s economy only to enjoy power. Today, we have succeeded in replacing guns with pens even in the terror hot bed of Pulwama district besides other districts of Kashmir,” Shah said.

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