In apparent jibe at Rahul-Lalu mutton and Tejashwi fish videos, Modi says opposition leaders ‘tease people… like Mughals’

The rally was held to mobilise support for BJP’s Lok Sabha candidates Dr Jitendra Singh (Udhampur) and Jugal Kishore Sharma (Jammu).

“The day is not far when Assembly elections will be held in J&K. Everybody will be visiting his own MLA and Minister,” Modi said.

Describing the development works undertaken in the UT as “a trailer”, he said, “I have to get down to work on making a new and beautiful picture” of J&K.

He said the development works have changed the situation completely and instilled greater confidence among the people.

“Mothers of our brave soldiers need not worry because there are no more incidents of stone-pelting’’ in the Valley, he said. “Mothers in Kashmir Valley, who earlier used to worry that their sons had fallen into the wrong hands when they did not return home for 3-4 days, also bless me a lot today because now they can have a sound sleep at home.’’

Schools are not burnt now, but are decorated, he said, adding that the construction of AIIMS, IITs, IIMs, modern tunnels, wider roads and comfortable train journeys have transformed J&K, and a record number of tourists and pilgrims are visiting the UT.

He said large companies and industries from across the country and abroad will come to J&K in greater numbers, and along with tourism, it will also be known for its start-ups.

“Whatever has happened in the last 10 years is only a trailer. I have to take Jammu and Kashmir to new heights of development,’’ he said, attacking the Congress, NC and PDP. These parties, he said, are run by families opposed to development and heritage.

For power, he said, they erected “a wall of Article 370”, not allowing the people of J&K to look outside, nor letting people outside look at J&K. “With your blessings, Modi has not only demolished that wall, but also buried its rubble.”

He challenged the Opposition INDIA bloc, especially the Congress, to announce restoration of Article 370. “Let them declare that they will restore Article 370, people will not even look at their face,’’ he said.

“They spread falsehood and create fear among people. They used to say that if Article 370 is abrogated, Jammu and Kashmir will be on fire, that it will secede. But the youth of Jammu and Kashmir have shown them the mirror,’’ he said.

Criticising the Congress and INDIA bloc for skipping the idol consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Modi attacked them for making a video of “mutton being cooked during the holy month of Saawan” and circulating it on social media to “tease” and “hurt sentiments of people” and wondered “who were they trying to appease”.

In an apparent reference to a video of RJD leader Lalu Prasad and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cooking mutton, he said, “A person who has been sentenced by the court and who is on bail, they visit the house of such a criminal and enjoy cooking mutton in the month of Saawan and they make a video of it to tease the people of the country.”

He said it is the right of an individual to eat vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. “The law does not stop anyone from eating anything, and Modi will also not stop anyone. But the intentions of these people (Opposition leaders) are something else. When the Mughals attacked here, they were not satisfied until they demolished the temples. Just like the Mughals, they want to tease the people of the country by showing the video in the month of Saawan,” he said.

“You are hurting the sentiments of people. And I know that after these remarks, they will come after me. There will be a volley of abuse. But when lines are crossed, it is my duty to speak the truth before people,” he said.