New Delhi: The BJP-led NDA government is handling the Kashmir issue “diplomatically” and India will ultimately “prevail” there, BJP president Amit Shah today said adding that merely abrogating Article 370 will not solve the problem in the valley.
Shah said the prime minister is keeping a “keen eye” on Kashmir and the security agencies are doing a “fine job” there.
“I believe that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and security agencies’ intervention, India will ultimately prevail in Kashmir,” he said appearing in the “Samvaad” conclave organised by India TV.
Shah also declined to ascribe the recent violence in Kashmir as a reaction against the PDP-BJP alliance government in the state.
“I do not think so. Such incidents are a reaction to the steps taken by the government and action by the security agencies. Whatever lacunae are there will be removed. The alliance is still going on”.
Shah replied to a vast range of questions during the conclave covering Article 370 and the Kashmir issue, Ram temple, performance of the Modi government after three years, farmers’ suicides and triple talaq.
He said that the Kashmir “problem” cannot be solved by merely abrogating the Article 370 in the Constitution that provides for special provisions to Jammu and Kashmir.
“There are several issues and just abrogating the Article 370 will not solve the problem. BJP cannot do it all alone, we will discuss it at an opportune time with others,” he said.
He also claimed that that incidents of terrorism and Maoism have been brought under check under the Modi government.
“Terrorism and Maoism have been checked. We have broken the spine of Naxalites in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. We will not allow terrorism anywhere in the country,” he said.
The BJP president reiterated his party’s stand on the Ram temple issue saying that it will be built in accordance with the Constitution or through negotiations.
“Our stand is clear that it will be built through constitutional ways or through negotiations. But we maintain that Ram temple should be built (in Ayodhya),” he said.
Shah denied “political patronage” to cow vigilantes in the country claiming that cases have been registered and arrests have been made wherever they have been found involved in violence.
“The law will take its own course. Action has been taken in each incident (of violence) and arrests have been made within 24 hours. It would not be so if there were political protection,” he said.
Expressing confidence over victory of the NDA candidate in the presidential election, Shah said that the talk of unity among the Opposition parties was yet to materialise.
“There is an ‘if’ and this ‘if’ is very important. I am assured our candidate will become the next president of India,” he said.
On the ‘triple talaq’ issue, the BJP chief said that it was meant for protection of Muslim women and the government is for ending this practice.
“Triple talaq issue is not against anyone or to scare them. It is meant for women’s protection. Our government wants to end it and it has said so in the Supreme Court which is hearing the matter,” he said.
Citing various “achievements” of the Modi government during last three years, Shah also claimed that farmers’ suicides have come down for the “first time” in past 12 years.
“We have been able to give a decisive government and the most popular prime minister to the country. We have honestly worked for ‘Achhe Din’ (good days) for people and the mandate given to us in past elections prove people believe in it,” he added.
—PTI