Prime Minister Narendra Modi focussed a spotlight on the promise to restore Statehood and hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir at a rally for the upcoming Lok Sabha election on April 12, though he did not offer any concrete timeline for the restoration of Statehood. Instead, he extolled the positive impact of the abrogation of Article 370 and targeted the Opposition INDIA bloc’s leaders for their “Mughal mindset”.
“The time is not far for the Assembly elections and restoration of Statehood to J&K. People will soon have their Ministers and legislators. It’s through them that people will fulfil their desires and dreams and walk on a new path of development,” he said at an election rally in the Udhampur-Doda constituency in Jammu. This is the first time after August 2019 that he has referred to the restoration of Statehood.
Also read: Lok Sabha election 2024 updates - April 12
Growing anger
His statement comes at a time when Jammu voters, especially in Hindu-majority areas, have started growing resentful of the downgrading of J&K into a Union Territory and the failure to hold Assembly elections. Congress leader Chaudhary Lal Singh has already started tapping into this growing anger in a bid to defeat the BJP’s Jitendra Singh, who is canvassing for re-election from the seat.
In an indirect reference to the viral video of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav eating meat, Mr. Modi said: “I don’t have a problem with whatever one eats, but I oppose those who instigate beliefs. They eat non-vegetarian food during Navratri and tease people by showing the video. By showing videos of non-vegetarian food during Navratri, by hurting the sentiments of people, who are they trying to please?” Opposition parties have “a Mughal mindset”, he alleged.
‘Creating a barrier’
Challenging the Opposition parties, especially the Congress, to announce the restoration of provisions of Article 370, the Prime Minister said: “Terrorism, separatism and stone throwing are no more election issues in J&K. The people of the country will not look towards the Congress if they talk of bringing back Article 370.”
Without naming the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Modi accused J&K’s regional parties of “creating a barrier of Article 370 between J&K and the rest of the country”.
“Political parties here want to take J&K back to the old days when politics and elections for them meant ‘of the party, by the party, and for the party’. But the Modi government has demolished this barrier,” he said.
‘Real development coming’
Extolling the positive impacts of the abrogation of Article 370, the PM underlined that women, Dalits, and Valmikis now have their rights ensured in the Constitution. He said his government had also “tightened the noose around terrorists and separatists”. He added: “Conducting the Vaishno Devi and Amarnath yatra peacefully used to be a big task. But not now.”
Mr. Modi promised to take J&K to new heights of development. “J&K, in the last 10 years, just witnessed a trailer. Real development will take place in the coming years,” the PM added.
He vowed that J&K would soon be known for both startup companies and the tourism industry. “This election is to form a strong government in the country. When the government is strong, it shows its performance by challenging the challenges on the ground even amidst challenges,” he added.
