New Delhi: Amit Shah, the union home minister, announced on Tuesday that the government would provide reserves for the Gujjar, Bakarwal, and Pahari populations in accordance with the committee’s recommendations for looking into the benefits of quotas. During a rally in the Jammu and Kashmir border area of Rajouri, Shah also stated that if Article 370 and 35A were not repealed in 2019 and Dalits and other minorities living in the Union Territory had not received reservation rights.

Attacking those who were against the abrogation of Article 370, Shah said, “In today’s rally, you can hear slogans praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the answer to those who used to say that if Article 370 is removed, there would be fire in Jammu and Kashmir, rivers of blood would flow.”

“It was only after the government changed in the country and Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, that Modi ji first conducted panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Just three families used to rule Jammu and Kashmir, but now power is with 30,000 people elected to panchayats, district councils,” Shah said.

He further added, “Today Modi ji is bearing the full cost of health up to five lakhs to 27 lakh families across Jammu and Kashmir… what did these three families give in 70 years?”

Speaking on stone pelting cases in the Union Territory, Shah said, “Earlier, news of stone pelting used to come from Jammu and Kashmir. Today there is no news of stone pelting. Modi ji has worked to empower the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Shah added that investments totaling Rs 15,000 crore had been made from Independence to 2019. He added, “In these three years from 2019 till now, industrial investment of Rs 56,000 crore has come in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Shah paid a visit to the Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu before giving his speech at Rajouri. Shah is scheduled to take a flight to Srinagar, where he will speak at a rally in Baramulla on Wednesday and conduct a security inspection.