J&K CM tours Gujarat: Mufti praises Modi’s development model

Mufti said, "Modi made a successful Gujarat model. In Kashmir, we are also making an attempt to make a model."

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Ahmedabad on Saturday. (Source: Express photo by Javed Raja)

Praising the Gujarat model, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, on his first visit to Prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state after forging an alliance with the BJP, said that he would do everything to bring back the Kashmiri Pandits. Leading a tourism road show in Ahmedabad, Sayeed also said that he would take necessary action to reports of Pakistani flags being hoisted at a rally by separatist leader Syed Shah Geelani in Tral of the Valley on Friday.

Asked if Geelani, like the other separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat, would be arrested for hoisting the Pakistani flag, Sayeed said, “Alam was seen holding the flag. There were evidences. In the new case, necessary steps will be taken against those who unfurled Pakistani flag in the valley.”

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Earlier this month, J&K Police filed a case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Geelani and separatist leader Bhat for raising anti-national slogans during a rally in Srinagar and Bhat was arrested on April 17. J&K finance minister Haseeb Drabu said that the state’s GDP dropped from 8 to 2% after the floods. To attract Gujaratis to Kashmir, he said, “For the first time, we have designed corporate packages wherein industrial houses can have their annual general meetings in J&K. We look forward to industries in Gujarat to explore the same.”

The chief minister also wooed Gujarat and said, “We need you (tourists) in Kashmir. When everything has been damaged in floods, we can start rebuilding with tourism development.” He added, “Modi made a successful Gujarat model. In Kashmir, we are also making an attempt to make a model. That is why as tourism minister I have been travelling. I was in Mumbai yesterday.”

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