Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that Article 370 was the biggest hurdle in Jammu and Kashmir’s progress, pointing out that the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre had abrogated it. He urged the people to give 370 (seats) to the BJP in the upcoming general elections and to take the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) beyond the 400-mark.
Modi was addressing a public rally amid rain at Jammu after dedicating and laying foundation stones of projects worth over ₹32,000 crore projects to J&K.
The BJP government had abrogated the provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The contentious article gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Modi also appreciated the youth of the region from liberating themselves from dynastic politics.
The PM had last visited J&K in April 2022 for a rally at Samba’s Palli village.
“Article 370 was the biggest wall in the development of J&K and BJP razed it to the ground. We would fulfil the unfulfilled dreams of the last 70 years of the people of J&K in the next few years, and this is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.
He pointed out that the BJP government had turned up at the doorsteps of the people during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
{{/usCountry}}He pointed out that the BJP government had turned up at the doorsteps of the people during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
{{/usCountry}}“No one would be left unattended and this is Modi’s guarantee. We will make J&K developed in the next few years,” he asserted. He said that there was a time when sad news like bomb blasts, guns, kidnappings and separatism emerged from J&K.
“But today, J&K is making rapid strides forward on the path of development. However, for several decades, J&K remained a victim of dynastic politics. Those who ran governments always watched their own interests and never cared about hopes and aspirations of the people. And if someone bore maximum brunt of it, it was the youth,” he said while taking an indirect dig at National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress.
The PM said that he was satisfied to see J&K getting rid of dynastic politics. “The government whose priority is the welfare of just one family cannot think of the welfare of the common people. I am happy to see J&K is getting free from the dynastic rule”, he added.
He recollected his 2013 Lalkar Rally at the same venue when he had raised question why J&K can’t have higher education institutions.
“Today, J&K has Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Management and two All India Institutes of Medical science (AIIMS) . That’s why people refer to Modi’s guarantee. There were days when schools were burnt and today, schools are decorated,” he said while drawing parallels between rule of successive regimes in J&K and BJP government’s innings since 2014.
PM slammed the Congress government for sitting over one-rank one-pension (OROP) scheme to the armed forces. “They kept telling lies and peddled fake promises to the soldiers but it was eventually done by the BJP government. Because of OROP, ex-servicemen in J&K alone got over ₹1,600-crore benefits,” he said.
PM seeks support of women to make 1 crore ‘lakhpati didis’
Modi also sought the support of country’s women to make one crore women “lakhpati didis”.
The PM lauded the beneficiaries of the Centre’s major schemes in J&K for setting an example for the rest of the country. He interacted with the beneficiaries during his visit to Jammu to ascertain how the schemes have transformed the lives of the people in the Union Territory.
He encouraged self-help group (SHG) head Kirti of Basohli area of Kathua to leverage the loan scheme under livelihood scheme and contribute to the success of rural women. Kirti, whose SHG had purchased three cows and repaid the loan, has now a big cowshed due to the efforts of several women.
The lives of women are changing and they are becoming the engines of change in rural India. The credit of the changes goes to such schemes gifted to us by the PM,” she said.
He also highlighted how his government upheld the constitution by conferring fundamental rights and reservation to refugees, Valmiki community, Gadda Brahmins, Kohlis, Kashmiri Pandits and women.
“After revocation of Article 370, the women in J&K got their rights from which they were deprived for decades together,” he said.
Referring to his recent visit to gulf countries, Modi said there was positivity among the gulf countries and they were keen on investing in J&K.
“There is enthusiasm among the world towards J&K, successful G20 meet in Kashmir has made an impact around the world. The world is impressed by natural beauty, tradition, culture and hospitality of the people here,” he said.
He also referred to record two crore tourists visiting J&K in the past one year.
“In the past 10 years, India became fifth largest economy from 11th in the world. When economy gets strong, the underprivileged get free ration, homes, LPG, sanitation and other facilities. In the next five years, we have to make India the third largest economy of the world. And, we will raise such a world class infrastructure in J&K that people would forget visiting Switzerland,” he said.
Inaugurates AIIMS Jammu
Modi virtually inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu. He said, “the number of medical colleges in J&K have increased from four to 12 in the last 10 years. In the same period, MBBS seats in J&K have more than doubled, from 500 to 1300.”
Highlighting that “there were no postgraduate medical seats in J&K before 2014”, he said that “there are now 650 PG medical seats in the Union Territory”. A total of 35 nursing and paramedic colleges are also coming up in the region, he added.
“The Centre has added 15 new AIIMS in the last 10 years, including two in J&K alone,” the Prime Minister said.