New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday came down heavily on India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and alleged that he committed “two major blunders” — declaring a ceasefire without winning the entire Kashmir and taking the issue to the United Nations, due to which the people of Jammu and Kashmir had to suffer for years.
While speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Shah said if Nehru had taken the right steps, a large chunk of territory would not have been ceded and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would have been part of India.
Taking a jibe at Nehru, Shah said, “I support the word that was used here — Nehruvian blunder. Because of the blunder that was committed during the time of Nehru, Kashmir had to suffer. With responsibility, I want to say that the two big blunders that happened during the tenure of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, happened due to his decisions, because of which Kashmir had to suffer for years.”
Shah said: “Two mistakes that happened due to the decision of (former PM) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru due to which Kashmir had to suffer for many years.”
“The first is to declare a ceasefire – when our army was winning, the ceasefire was imposed. If there had been a ceasefire after three days, PoK would have been a part of India today… The second is to take our internal issue to the UN,” the minister said.
Following the mention of Nehru, the Congress members staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha, but returned later.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill were passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
(IANS)
