Will bring NRC in West Bengal, throw out infiltrators: Amit Shah
Alipurduar: BJP president Amit Shah said Friday his party will replicate the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in West Bengal on coming to power at the Centre to "throw out" infiltrators.
He, however, made it clear that Hindu refugees will not be touched.
"We will also bring in NRC in Bengal and throw out all inflitrators. We will also ensure that the Hindu refugees are not touched. They are very much a part of our country," Shah said.
The NRC is a document containing names of all genuine Indian citizens in Assam.
It, however, became a hugely contentious issue after the complete draft, released last year, omitted the names of lakhs of people who have been residing in the state for several decades.
The BJP president also said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls are all about restoring democracy in the TMC-ruled West Bengal.
"The TMC stands for three Ts -Trinamool, toll and tax. Under the TMC government, syndicates (groups of extortionists) are flourishing in Bengal," he claimed.
Criticising opposition leaders for questioning the government over air strikes in Pakistan's Balakot to avenge the Pulwama killing of 40 CRPF personnel, Shah said only a strong leadership under Narendra Modi could give a befitting reply to China on Dokalam issue and Pakistan for its terror tactics.
"But the opposition leaders are questioning the government (over the air strike). They want to hold talks with Pakistan. In this election, you have two ways - one leads you to Narendra Modi, the other to Thugbandhan (a gang of thugs) of leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav," Shah said.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
