Lok Sabha elections 2019: Amit Shah invokes national security

In his second election rally in Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Saturday reiterated that national security was the main issue this Lok Sabha elections.

Campaigning for BJP’s Chandni Chowk candidate Harsh Vardhan and Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans from North West Delhi, Shah said, “The 2019 Lok Sabha elections are bring fought on the issue of national security. The way PM had ensure national security, people have been waiting for this for the past 70 years.”

In his 12-minute speech at Japanese Park in North Delhi’s Rohini, Shah, who was delayed by over three hours due to a roadshow in Amethi (Rahul Gandhi’s constituency), said, “Is baar Amethi mein kamal khilne ja raha hain.”

Shah attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of questioning the surgical strikes and accused them of allegedly sympathising with “anti-nationals” who chant “Desh tere tukde tukde honge” slogans.

The BJP president said those who raise anti-national slogans and indulge in anti-national activities will be tried under the sedition law. “After the surgical strikes, gloom prevailed in Pakistan, and in Rahul baba and Kejriwal’s offices. They were worried about their vote bank. But our policy is very clear about national security. If Pakistan fires a bullet, we will bomb them,” he said.

Reiterating his party’s commitment to abrogate Article 370 and criticising National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s recent suggestion to have a separate prime minister for Kashmir, he said: “We will never let this happen.Kashmir is an integral part of our country. Even if the BJP is not in power ever, BJP workers will never let the country get divided,” he said.

Hans, who was addressing his first big rally in his constituency, reminded people about Wing Commander Abhinandan, who was captured by the Pakistan Army earlier this year. “What’s the name of our brave soldier who was in Pakistan’s custody?” asked Hans and the crowd responded by saying “Abhinandan”. “Abhinandan. Yeh naam kabhi maat bhoolna...The country was worried that due to delay, Abhinandan doesn’t meet the same fate as Sarabjit (Singh),” he said. Referring Modi as “babbar sher”, Hans said the PM built international pressure on Pakistan to release Abhinandan.

“Hindustan ki darti par babbar sher ka raj hai jiska naam Modi hai. Abhinandan ko jaldi aazad kar do nahi toh Modi tumhara naam mita dega (India is ruled by a Lion, whose name is Modi. Release Abhinandan immediately or Modi will wipe your name)” is what international community told Pakistan, which led to immediate release of the captured pilot, Hans said.

Vardhan, who is seeking a re-election, said, “In 2014, there was a divine blessing on Indians that we got a PM like Modi. We have no doubt that he will become the next PM and a ‘New India’ will be delivered. We are
fortunate we got two leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi.”

Reacting to the speech, Haroon Yusuf, Delhi Congress’s working President, said, “They are doing politics over dead bodies of soldiers. The army fought a war under late PM Indira Gandhi in 1971. But we never politicised it. The way they are shamelessly doing politics over army shows their frustration.”