Terming Article 370 abrogation as “epoch making decision”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said talks will be held with youth of Valley not Pakistan on Kashmir.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken an "epoch-making decision" to bring about a change in Kashmir.
"Article 370 was a mistake by the Jawaharlal Nehru government. It was abrogated by this Parliament on August 5 and 6, 2019. With that, two flags and two constitutions were gone from Kashmir and PM Modi ensured its complete integration into the country," Shah said.
Saying youth of valley are our own, Shah said talks will be held with them on Kashmir, instead of Pakistan.
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"An NGO inspired by them (Congress) held a meeting recently and released a report stating that the Centre should hold talks with the Hurriyat, Jamiat and Pakistan. We will not speak to the Hurriyat, Jamiat or Pakistan. If we hold discussions, we will hold them with the youth of the Valley. They are our own and we will talk to them," he said.
He also said the Centre had imposed restrictions on Hurriyat and the Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir, and removed terrorist sympathisers from jobs.
He added funeral processions are no longer taken out for terrorists in Kashmir.
Shah said that the Lakhanpur toll tax in Kashmir, where party ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee had been arrested in 1953 and which was "a thorn in the hearts of crores of BJP workers", has been done away with.
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He also said Modi led BJP government has brought in reservations for Dalits, tribals and people from the backward classes in Kashmir.
Shah also took a jibe at Muftis, Abdullahs and Gandhis over Kashmir.
He also hailed Modi led government for conducting panchayat polls in Kashmir.
Shah said post Article 370 abrogation tourism sector has got boost in Kashmir, while theatres have also been opened.
