Amit Shah blames former PM Jawaharlal Nehru for PoK's existence

Amit Shah was addressing a rally on the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and to campaign for the BJP. Pic/PTI

Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would not have come into existence had Jawaharlal Nehru not declared untimely ceasefire with the neighbouring country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday. Targeting Nehru over "non-integration" of Kashmir with India, he said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country's first home minister, should have handled the issue, instead of the then prime minister. Addressing a rally here on the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and to campaign for the BJP for the next month's Maharashtra Assembly polls, he said, "I want to tell all BJP workers that 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. Hitting out at the Congress and NCP, he said, they were "shamelessly" opposing the abrogation of Article 370. He said, "I am happy that the campaign for the state polls is beginning with the discussion on our decision to remove Articles 370 and 35(A)." The Congress sees politics behind Article 370 abrogation, "we don't see it that way", he said. "The PoK wouldn't have come into existence had Nehru not declared untimely ceasefire with Pakistan, a mistake of Nehru...Sardar Patel should have handled Kashmir, instead of Nehru handling it," he opined.

Nehru then went to the United Nations under Article 35 of the UN Charter. "Had he gone through charter 51, still PoK would have been with India," he added. "After Sardar Patel's death in 1950, the Indian government signed the Delhi agreement with Sheikh Abdullah which became the foundation of Article 370," he said.Those who came from Pakistan to India, two of them - Manmohan Singh and I K Gujral - (later) became prime ministers, while L K Advani became deputy prime minister. "But those who went to J&K never had voting rights till Article 370 was removed. Today, these people can vote," he said.

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