Gonda (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 12 (ANI): Union Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the opposition, accusing them of indulging in appeasement politics and challenging India's sovereignty over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POJK).
Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda, Amit Shah said, "They (opposition) have left no stone unturned in doing appeasement politics. POK is ours," proclaimed Shah, as he took aim at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for suggesting to forget about reclaiming POK. "This Farooq Abdullah, INDI alliance leaders, Mani Shankar Aiyar try to scare us. The government that used to be scared is gone now, it is PM Modi's government. I want to say this here, that POK belongs to India. No power of the world can take it from us".
Shah criticized the Congress party's stance on reinstating Article 370 if they regain power, stating, "Congress claims it would restore Article 370. Rahul Baba, you preserved Article 370 for 70 years, while the national flag never flew freely in Kashmir and terrorism persisted. Prime Minister Modi was re-elected, and Article 370 was abolished."
Shah made a plea for votes to secure Prime Minister Narendra Modi a third term, emphasizing that it's about ensuring India becomes the world's third-largest economy, delivering a strong response to Pakistan's actions, and retaliating against terrorism with force.
"This election is to make PM Modi Prime Minister for the third term. This election is to make India the third-largest economy in the world. This election is to give a befitting reply to Pakistan for its actions. This election is to answer the terrorist's bullet with a shell," he said.
Earlier, on Friday, veteran leader Aiyar found himself in the soup again after a clip of an old interview surfaced in which he is heard saying that Pakistan, as a nuclear-armed country, deserves respect. He also advocated the need for India to reengage with its neighbour.
In an interview with Chill Pill Mani Shankar Aiyar on April 15 said, "They are also a sovereign country (Pakistan). They are a respected nation. You can talk tough with them (Pakistan). But start the dialogue. You are walking with a gun which yielded you nothing. Tensions are escalating. And if a mad person comes there, what will happen to the nation? They have an atom bomb. We also possess the atomic bomb. But if a mad person detonates our bomb at Lahore station, so within eight seconds, eight moments, its radioactivity will reach Amritsar.
He added: "So you should prevent the use of atomic bombs. But, if you start a dialogue with them (Pakistan) and encourage them (by considering them as), then they should start thinking about their atomic bomb. But if you snub them, then a mad person will come and detonate the bomb. Then what will happen?" (ANI)
