Congress-NC in line with Pakistan agenda: PM Modi on Article 370 in J&K

At both rallies, Modi reiterated the BJP’s commitment to statehood for J&K and said his party’s priority is “development and progress”.

In Katra town, located at the foothills of the Mata Vaishnodevi shrine, the Prime Minister declared that “every vote given to Congress will result in implementation of the NC and PDP manifesto’’, which talks of restoration of Article 370 and 35A, and would “bring back the old era of bloodshed in J&K”. He claimed the “neighbouring country” was “very enthusiastic’’ about it, saying, “In Pakistan, the NC-Congress alliance is being hailed’’, and its “manifesto appears to have made Pakistan very happy”.

Referring to purported comments made by Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Modi said, “The Pakistan’s Defence Minister has openly supported the NC-Congress manifesto. He has said that their agenda of bringing back Article 370 and 35A is similar to that of Pakistan… Pakistan itself has exposed the NC and the Congress.”

“They want to implement Pakistan’s agenda here, which destroyed several generations and shed our blood for decades in J&K,’’ the Prime Minister said, adding that “Congress and the National Conference acted in a manner which suited Pakistan — the mother of terrorism’’. “We will not allow implementation of Pakistan’s agenda in Jammu and Kashmir,’’ Modi said, adding that “no power on earth can bring back Article 370”.

Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, “All over the country, we worship and believe in Devis and Devtas and he says they are not god and goddess.’’ Asking voters “whether those insulting them shall be punished or not”, Modi accused the Congress of adopting “Naxali thinking which has been imported from other religions and countries”. “A government is required here, which respects our faith and promotes our culture’’, he said.

Modi also said the BJP declared a public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile J&K state, and referred to projects such as the rail bridge over the Chenab, the Chenani-Nashri tunnel and the opening of various schools, colleges and hospitals.

Earlier, speaking at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar, Modi targeted the Congress, NC and PDP, and said the BJP will “not let another generation be destroyed by these three families”. He said the “three families” kept youth away from schools and “handed them stones”.

“To keep their political shops running, they sold hatred for decades. The schools that were burnt in Kashmir, the fire that engulfed those schools… They destroyed the future of our children for their own benefit. Our intention is to free J&K from terror, to defeat the forces that conspire against J&K, to give employment to the youth. This is the promise of Modi. We will not let another generation be destroyed by these three families,” he said.

“Today, schools and colleges are open… There are no stones but pens, books and laptops in the hands of the youth. You don’t hear news about the burning of schools now. Today you hear news about the opening of new schools, new colleges, AIIMs and medical colleges,” Modi said.

Speaking about the Centre-appointed administration, the Prime Minister said, “I feel proud to say that 50,000 students, who had dropped out of schools, have been readmitted… We started primary classes in 15,000 schools where more than 1.5 lakh students are studying now. Around 250 schools have been brought under the PM Shri (scheme). Many degree colleges, engineering colleges and polytechnic colleges have been set up,” he said.

“We have made playgrounds for the children, this new Habbakadl, Zero bridge, Abdullah bridge, Wayil bridge in Kangan, the glittering polo view. This all could have happened earlier as well. But the bricks, the stones that should have been used to build your houses were used to build their big palaces,” Modi said, referring to various projects including those that came up before Article 370 was abrogated in 2019.

The Prime Minister also made an indirect reference to the 1987 elections, widely alleged to have been rigged, and again blamed the “three families”. “The three families have trampled democracy and Kashmiriyat. Do you remember in the decade of the 1980s, what they did? They thought the politics of J&K was their property,” he said.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments, NC leader Omar Abdullah said they were being targeted because “he has nothing to showcase and is hiding the failures of his government”. “We can’t expect anything else from them (BJP). Militancy has been revived in Jammu and they are busy targeting three families,” Abdullah told reporters in Budgam.