The Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. Votes will be counted on October 4.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday took potshots at the Congress party for teaming up with the National Conference (NC) in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. He questioned Congress's position on important issues mentioned in the NC's election manifesto.
“The Congress party, which has repeatedly risked the nation’s unity and security to satiate its greed for power, has once again exposed its ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family's 'National Conference' in the Jammu and Kashmir elections,” Shah said on X. He mentioned 10 pointed questions directed at the grand old party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi.
“Does the Congress support the National Conference's promise of a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir?” the senior BJP leader asked.
Shah's main concern was the National Conference's promise to restore Article 370 and 35A, which granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. He questioned if the Congress party supports this, warning that it could lead the region back to "unrest and terrorism."
The BJP-led government’s 2019 decision to remove Article 370 was a major move that Amit Shah has frequently defended as crucial for national security and integration.
Shah also questioned the Congress-NC alliance's position on talking to Pakistan, suggesting that it might encourage separatism in the region.
“Do the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi support the National Conference's decision to start 'LoC Trade' with Pakistan, thereby nurturing terrorism and its ecosystem across the border?” he asked.
Shah accused Congress of being "anti-reservation," claiming that the NC's promises could end reservations for Dalits, Gujjars, Bakarwals, and Pahadi communities.
He also questioned the Congress party's stance on renaming notable places in Jammu and Kashmir, like Shankaracharya Hill and Hari Hill, with names of Islamic significance.
Shah asked if Congress wants to rename places like 'Shankaracharya Hill' to 'Takht-e-Suleiman' and 'Hari Hill' to 'Koh-e-Maran,' suggesting this reflects the BJP's criticism of "appeasement politics."
The Congress-NC alliance, formed after talks between Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and NC President Farooq Abdullah, is a joint effort to challenge the BJP in a region with major security concerns.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah announced on Friday that the seat-sharing deal with the Congress for most assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir has been finalized.
"Consensus has been reached to a large extent. I can tell you that we have reached a consensus on the maximum seats out of the 90," Abdullah told reporters in Kulgam district of south Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. Votes will be counted on October 4.