New Delhi: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday hit out at TMC leader Saugata Ray and asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a lot of change in the past four years since the abrogation of Article 370.
Intervening in the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, Thakur said there have been no cases of stone pelting and the Indian tricolour is now hoisted in every street of the Union Territory.
But earlier, when the National Conference (NC) was in power, BJP leaders were arrested for trying to hoist the national flag there, Thakur said, recalling his own experience during the Tiranga Yatra.
He was responding to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader’s remarks that “ek nishan, ek pradhan, ek samvidhan” was a political slogan.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister alleged that the TMC government in West Bengal is not allowing in the state the “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra”, which showcases the people-centric policies of the Narendra Modi government.
The Modi government removed Articles 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, which was not done even 70 years after Independence, he said.
Thakur slammed the opposition for not mentioning the contribution of Maharaja Hari Singh, who signed the Instrument of Accession with India, to the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Does his contribution not count? Should the contribution of Sardar Patel, who ensured the merger of princely states, not be counted? Sardar Patel laid the foundation for a strong India. The shortcomings left behind by (Jawaharlal) Nehru were rectified here on Aug 5-6, 2019 in Parliament by PM Modi,” Thakur said.
