Removing Article 370 wasn’t a political issue for BJP but to unite India, says Amit Shah

New Delhi, Sep 22: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that removing Article 370 was thought to be impossible but it was done by the Modi government with ease.

While addressing a rally in Mumbai at NSE Grounds in Goregaon, Shah said,''I congratulate Prime Minsiter Modi's bravery and grit. He removed Article 370 & 35A in the very first session of the Parliament as soon as we formed the govt for the second time with 305 seats.''

Shah said,''Article 370 and 35A were a hurdle in connecting the rest of India with J&K. It was a barrier in the unity of India and the integrity of the nation,''

''Rahul Gandhi says Article 370 is a political issue. Rahul Baba you have come into politics now,but 3 generations of BJP have given their life for Kashmir,for abrogation of Article 370. It's not a political matter for us, it's part of our goal to keep Bharat maa undivided,'' he also said.

The abrogation of Jammu & Kashmir's special status with the defanging of Article 370 is the BJP's main election plank for the Maharashtra assembly election.

On why J&K should be a local issue, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that in 1995, the then Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra was the first to provide 1% reservation in medical and engineering seats for Kashmiri students. "Thus, it is wrong to say that Maharashtra has nothing to do with J&K," he said.