NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday celebrated the extradition of Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, one of the main Mumbai attack plotters, from the US and said that it marked the success of Modi govt’s forceful diplomacy.
“It is a testament to the Modi govt’s vigorous diplomacy as well as its commitment to ensure justice,” the minister said.
Shah, who was speaking at an event organised by News18 network, hit out at Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin for “scare mongering” over delimitation, saying that the latter’s allegations were only a smokescreen to cover his corruption.
“Is there anything happening in Himachal Pradesh on delimitation or any other govts governed by INDIA bloc. Has govt announced a delimitation commission or appointed a judge for delimitation. In Tamil Nadu, they are raising the issue to hide their corruption. I assure people of south India BJP will not do injustice, and their seats will remain as per pro rata basis. If they stop this noise, then they have to answer about corruption and dynasty politics. They don’t want the poll on issues,” Shah said.
“Delimitation commission is formed on the basis of an Act. The Bill will be brought in Parliament and then it will be discussed. It might be sent to a parliamentary committee. So, why the hullabaloo now?” he asked.
Justifying the recent waqf legislation, Shah clearly said the new law will end years of injustice and corruption and usher in an era of justice and equality for the Muslim community. “Congress brought changes to the waqf Act to appease its vote bank in 2013, months before the 2014 elections. Twenty-one lakh acres of land was added to the waqf property after 2013. Those opposing the waqf Act have vested interests,” he added.
The minister also stressed Congress and others in the opposition had created unrest over enactment of Citizenship Amendment Act claiming it was an instrument to snatch citizenship of Muslims. “It has been two years since CAA was implemented. I publicly challenge Rahul Gandhi to tell us if even a single Muslim has lost citizenship,” he added amid incidents of violent protests in parts of the country against the changes in the waqf Act.
Asked about the govt continuing to push for ‘one nation, one election’ when it lacked the two-thirds majority in Parliament needed to carry out amendments to the Constitution, Shah said in the next 2-3 years, the atmosphere in the country would be such that no party would be able to refuse one nation, one election, because it was in the interest of the nation.
Criticising the WB govt on the issue of infiltrators, Shah said, “I would like to request the people of Bengal to form a BJP govt in the coming polls, the problem of infiltrators will end from there. The country knows that even after fencing the border, there is about 250 km border where fencing is not possible.”
