Article 370 will be scrapped, if Modi comes to power: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah said that the Article 370 that gives special powers to Kashmir will be scrapped if Narendra Modi is elected as Prime Minister again. He was campaigning in support of Kangra BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor, Hamirpur sitting MP Anurag Thakur and party's Shimla candidate Suresh Kashyap.

Shimla (HP): Targeting the Congress on the issue of national security, BJP president Amit Shah said that Article 370 that gives special powers to Kashmir will be scrapped if Narendra Modi is elected as prime minister again.

In a rally at Chogan Maidan in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, Shah alleged that the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government did nothing when Pakistan beheaded five Indian soldiers, but under the Modi government, an air strike was carried out in Balakot.

During his whirlwind election tour in the hill state, Shah said, "If Pakistan will fire a bullet, we will reply with a shell. Pakistan obviously mourned the air strike but there was grief in Congress' office as well.

After the air strike, Rahul Gandhi's face turned pale as if his relatives were killed." Citing former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah's comment that there should be another prime minister for the state, Shah said, "All this indicated their mindset but if the BJP comes to power again and Modi becomes prime minister, Article 370 will be removed for sure."

He also targeted Pitroda comment 'Hua to Hua' in the rally and said, "if you ask a question regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Congress says 'Hua to Hua'.

If you ask a question regarding the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and migration of Kashmiri Pandits, Congress says 'Hua to Hua'. " He claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi seemed disappointed when the Modi government had put those behind bars who had raised "Bharat tere tukde honge, inshallah inshallah" slogan at JNU, and now he declared to amend provisions of sedition law in his party manifesto.

Counting various development works done in Himachal Pradesh under the BJP government, he said, "Process is on to set up an international airport at Mandi. It will be done after the Modi government comes to power again at the Centre."

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar were present in the Chamba rally. The Congress has pitted sitting MLA Pawan Kajal against HP minister Kishan Kapoor from Kangra.