Shah raises poll bugle in Haridwar yr ahead of assembly polls

Haridwar: Union home minister Amit Shah, while addressing a public meeting in Haridwar on Saturday, appealed to the people to return BJP to power in Uttarakhand for the third consecutive time. The meeting was turned into an election rally when the minister dwelt at length on the state BJP govt's achievements during the "past nine years of rule.""If BJP forms the govt again, Uttarakhand will rise to become the most developed state in the country," Shah said. The Union minister was speaking at a rally held on the occasion of completion of four years of Pushkar Singh Dhami govt and nine years of BJP rule in the state. Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects worth over Rs 1,100 cr.On awarding citizenship to refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Shah said, "We're resolved to grant citizenship to all those Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist refugees who had been denied this so far; however strong Rahul Gandhi and the INDI alliance may oppose. We are likewise determined to weed out infiltrators from Kashmir to Kanyakumari... Under the Citizenship Amendment Act brought by Modi govt, 162 people who came from Pakistan and Afghanistan have been granted Indian citizenship in Uttarakhand, symbolising our commitment to provide citizenship to every refugee who has faced religious persecution."Shah stressed that the country's voters list must be flawless. "It is essential for a strong democracy to cut off from the voters' list the names of those who are not Indian citizens," he said.He reminded that the Congress had opposed Uttarakhand's formation. "Atal Ji formed the state. It was for Narendra Modi to develop it, and the work is assiduously being done," he added.Handing over appointment letters to 1,900 policemen, he said that no recommendation or bribe is required for govt jobs in Uttarakhand. He patted the Dhami govt for anti-copying law as well as the UCC and said that the Haridwar Ardh Kumbh in 2027 will break several records.The home minister also inaugurated an exhibition on the BNSS, which replaced the 150-year-old colonial-era IPC. Describing implementation of the BNSS in Uttarakhand as a significant milestone, he asserted that these would be implemented throughout the country by 2028. He then referred to the repeal of Article 370, construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Ujjain's Mahakal and Kashi Vishwanath temple corridors, and renovation of Badrinath and Kedarnath temples as "historic achievements".