Even Indira Gandhi’s return from heaven won't bring back Article 370: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will not be restored under any circumstances.

Addressing a political rally in Maharashtra's Dhule, ahead of November 20 polling, Shah said that no one, even Indira Gandhi from heaven, won't be able to restore the provision.

Notably, last week, the newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution seeking restoration of the erstwhile state's special status.


“Even if Indira Gandhi were to return from heaven, Article 370 won’t be restored,” Shah said.

On Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde's statement that he was scared during his visit to Srinagar's Lal Chowk when he was the Union home minister, Shah said, "Shinde ji, go to Kashmir now along with your grandkids, no harm will come to you."

"During 10 years of the Sonia-Manmohan regime, terrorists used to come freely from Pakistan and trigger bomb blasts here," he added.

Shah also took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress party has been asked by certain Muslim leaders to allocate reservation quotas to Muslims.

“A few days ago, Ulemas met the president of Congress party and said that Muslims should be given reservation,” Shah said.

The BJP leader emphasized that such a move would come at the expense of quotas meant for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). “Rahul Baba, not only you but even if your four generations were to come, they cannot cut the quota meant for SCs, STs, and OBCs and give it to Muslims,” he added.

Criticizing the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra, Shah dubbed it an “Aurangzeb Fan Club.”

He praised the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, asserting that it upholds the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar.

"This MVA alliance only wants to appease and Uddhav ji has forgotten the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray for the sake of power," Shah said.

"Uddhav Babu, you are sitting with those who opposed renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, who opposed the construction of Ram temple, who opposed the abolition of triple talaq, who opposed the abolition of Article 370, who opposed the surgical strikes and who call Hindus terrorists," Shah said.

"I have travelled all over Maharashtra and can say with confidence that Mahayuti will sweep the November 20 assembly polls," he said.

"The 'ladli behnas' (women) of Maharashtra are with the lotus flower and the BJP," Shah said. The Mahayuti will form the next government in Maharashtra with the highest ever number of seats, he added. The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders are opposing all the communities," Shah said.

(With PTI inputs)