Art 370 decision driven by patriotism, says Shah as BJP steps up campaign to rally public support

As the BJP stepped up its countrywide outreach campaign on revoking Article 370, its chief Amit Shah and other senior leaders on Sunday asserted that the decision on Jammu and Kashmir was driven by patriotism for its full integration with the country and will help end terrorism in the Valley.

Party stalwarts including Home Minister Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP working-president J P Nadda and several other Union Ministers addressed public meetings in major cities like Mumbai, Patna and Bengaluru where they slammed the opposition for "doing politics" on the issue and stressed that the decision to do away with Jammu and Kashmir's special status is supported by a majority of people.

They also hit out at Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in the Valley and warned it against any misadventure.

Shah said Article 370 was a hurdle in the integration and development of J-K while Singh likened it to a "canker" that bled the state.

"Article 370 was and is an issue of political game for the Congress but for us it was a promise of integration. You (Congress) see politics in it, we see it as patriotism," Shah said in Mumbai and urged the voters in poll-bound Maharashtra to punish those opposing scrapping of J-K's special status.

"Our work doesn't end at the removal of Article 370, our work starts now. It is our target to take this country forward on the chapter of nationalism and progress," he said.

Targeting Congress and NCP, he said, they were "shamelessly" opposing abrogation of Article 370 provisions and hit out those who had raised apprehensions of bloodshed in the state.

"Not a single bullet has been fired in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370," he said, adding that there is no unrest in the Valley and in the coming days, "terrorism will be finished".

Shah said nobody ever thought Article 370 and 35(A) could be abrogated so swiftly, but the Modi government did it.

Addressing a "Jan Jagran Sabha" (public awareness meet) organized by the BJP in Patna, Rajnath Singh said "as a nationalist party, the BJP never softened its stand on the issue."
Hitting out at Pakistan, he said, "Talks with Pakistan will henceforth resume only after it stops promoting terrorism. And it must also keep in mind that J&K is an integral part of India. All discussions will only take place about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."
The Opposition has, however, termed it as a diversionary tactic by the BJP to evade answering questions on economy and other key issues