Published 18:57 IST, October 15th 2019
Amit Shah: PM's decision to revoke Article 370; I just implemented
Amit Shah, in an interview with Republic TV, said that it was the Prime Minister's decision to revoke Article 370 and that he just implemented the decision
Amit Shah, in an interview with Republic TV on Tuesday, said that the decision of revoking Article 370 and Article 35 A was not his decision. Shah while talking to Arnab Goswami, clearly stated that it was the decision of the country's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and he was just the one implementing it.
'Revocation has always been on our agenda'
Shah said that the government did not come to the decision in a day and that the BJP has been including the revocation in all its manifestos.
Amit Shah said that "since the time Article 370 came into existence, the party was working towards revoking it - first as the Jan Sangh, and later as the BJP."
Shah said that since day one, the government has been against the concept of having two constitutions, two flags, and two directions. He stated that the government has been able to implement the decision only after receiving a hugely popular mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a record of more than 300 seats all by itself. The BJP lead NDA government now holds a firm majority in the Lok sabha and even in the Rajya Sabha.
Continuing the conversation on Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said that he does not have a problem with former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, but said that he has a problem with what he did.
The Home Minister further said, “All I want to say is you should put the history book in front of the people, the new generation should have the knowledge that where the question of Kashmir begins from? How did Pak occupied Kashmir come into existence when our army was winning and we were defeating the infiltrators from Pakistan when we were defeating the Pakistani army and our soldiers were sacrificing their lives and winning, what was the need to go to the UN. Even today I believe, compared to the height of the Himalayas it is a bigger fault and from this, the Congress Party can not run.”
The decision to revoke Artice 370 and 35 (A) was taken by the government in August when Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha on August 5. The Bill was passed after hours of debate on the same day and was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 6.
Updated 20:23 IST, October 15th 2019