Jammu, Sep 7: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday assured restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after the assembly polls, which he said are the first under the national flag and the Constitution following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government.

He accused the Congress-National Conference alliance of making attempts to revive the “old system”.

The NDA government will not allow the revival of terrorism, “autonomy”, and injustice with any community including Gujjars, Pahari, Bakerwals and Dalits who were granted reservation by the BJP dispensation, he said.

Shah is in Jammu on a two-day visit to boost the BJP’s election campaign for the three-phase assembly elections, beginning September 18.

He released the party’s manifesto on his first day of visit on Friday and also chaired two crucial meetings with senior leaders to discuss the campaign strategy.

“The coming elections in J-K are historic because after Independence, the polls are happening the first time under our national flag and Constitution, unlike in the past practice of two flags and two constitutions. We have only one prime minister from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and he is Modi,” the home minister told a BJP workers’ rally here on Saturday.

Taking a dig at the National Conference-Congress alliance, Shah alleged they are trying to push Jammu and Kashmir into the fire of terrorism once again when the government has brought down terror incidents in the union territory by 70 percent.

“The National Conference and the Congress will never be able to form a government in J-K, be confident about it,” Shah told the party workers, encouraging them to ensure the success of the BJP candidates to form the next government.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had a narrow escape while inspecting flood-affected areas in Vijayawada. On September 3, Naidu was on a small bridge evaluating the damage caused by recent floods when a speeding passenger train passed dangerously close to him. 

Naidu, along with his security personnel and officials, was standing near the railing on a narrow platform when the train whizzed by. A video of the incident has gone viral, showing the Chief Minister and his team standing just inches away from the fast-moving train. Passengers aboard the train were seen waving at Naidu as it sped past. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.

Situation worsens due to heavy rains

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Andhra Pradesh has worsened due to heavy rains, claiming the lives of at least 32 people.

Vijayawada and surrounding areas have been particularly hard-hit, with thousands displaced from low-lying regions.

The NTR district, which encompasses Vijayawada, has suffered the most, with 24 fatalities. Other severely affected areas include Guntur, with seven deaths, and Palnadu, with one reported death.

More than 40,000 people have been moved to relief camps across the state as water levels continue to rise. Farmers, too, have borne the brunt of the flooding, with over 2.35 lakh farmers reporting significant crop damage due to the unrelenting rains.

In response to the crisis, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has donated Rs 5 crore for flood relief. His contribution is aimed at supporting recovery efforts across the state, with 400 panchayats set to receive Rs 1 lakh each.

“I will make sure these funds are directly deposited into the panchayats’ accounts, ensuring they are used for immediate flood recovery,” said Kalyan in a statement.

The Andhra Pradesh government continues to monitor the situation closely, working to provide relief and assistance to affected areas as rains persist across the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be addressing United Nations General Assembly debate scheduled to take place later this year and India’s Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar will be representing India instead on September 28. PM Modi will be travelling to New York though, to attend a major community event at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island. The event is slated to take place on September 22. PM Modi will also be attending United Nations’ ‘Summit of the Future’ on September 22-23. This summit is focused on global co-operation for challenges that await humanity.

The general debate of the 79th UNGA session is scheduled to be held between September 24 and September 30. The summit will see major world leaders addressing the world. US President Joe Biden will address the assembly as well. This will be his last address to the UNGA as president of the United States as a new president will be elected in the presidential elections slated to take place in November this year. The contest will be between Republican Party nominee Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris.

Modi’s last address to the UNGA came in September 2021. He visited UN headquarters in June 2022.

The community event in Long Island has seen registration from over 24,000 Indian-Americans. PM Modi held his first such event at Madison Square Garden in 2014. This upcoming event marks the 10-year anniversary of the event.

That registrations for PM Modi’s event came through 590 community organisations in the US. There was a huge response from the tri-state area.

PM Modi’s community outreach events in the US have in past, drawn huge crowds. Last such event was ‘Howdy Modi’ which was held in Houston in 2019. The event had witnessed enthusiastic participation from Indian-Americans.