‘Risking nation’s unity’: Amit Shah attacks Congress over tie-up with NC for J&K assembly polls | India News

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed the National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance for the upcoming assembly election in Jammu & Kashmir and demanded that the grand old party to clarify its stance on reservations for Dalits and other backward castes in the state, which its ally partner has vowed to review if elected to power.
Taking to X, Shah said, “The Modi government ended years of discrimination against Dalits, tribes, Pahadis, and backward communities by granting them reservations after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.”
“Does Rahul Gandhi support the JKNC manifesto, which calls for abolishing reservations for Dalits, Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Pahadis?” he asked.
“After allying with the National Conference, he should now clarify the Congress Party‘s stance on reservation policy,” he added.
The home minister also accused the Congress party of ‘risking the nation’s unity and security to satiate its greed for power’ and posed 10 questions for Rahul Gandhi and his party.
“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,” he said.

BJP leader Smriti Irani also launched a scathing attack against Congress and termed the NC-Congress alliance as ‘an unholy alliance which came together to pursue power.’
“An unholy alliance came together to pursue power. The Congress party and the National Conference came together and announced an alliance that has raised many questions. The National Conference speaks of a different flag. Does the Congress party support the national conference’s promise of a separate flag for J&K? The National Conference has publicly announced that they will reinstate Article 370 and Article 35A,” she said.
“Does the Congress party support the national conference agenda of breaking India? The National Conference speaks about LoC trade while Pakistan continues to nurture terrorism…Does the Congress party support the Pakistani agenda that has been pronounced on many platforms of creating unrest in J&K?” she asked.
“Does the Congress party support the dangerous, divisive politics of the National Conference of giving autonomy to Kashmir? Congress party needs to answer if the national conference’s agenda of restoration of Article 370 is acceptable to them. Does it also mean that the Congress party stands against reservation?… The unholy alliance gives rise to many questions. Not only the people of J&K but the entire nation await the answers from the Congress party,” she added.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The results will be announced on October 4.
The Election Commission has issued a notification for the first phase of assembly seats, covering 24 seats. This is the first assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.