UT temporary status, BJP Govt will restore statehood to J&K: PM

Jammu, Sep 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday, while asserting that the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir was temporary, reiterated that the BJP government would restore statehood to it.

Reiteration was made in his mega “Vijay Sankalp” rally at M A Stadium in Jammu while winding up the campaign blitzkrieg of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the third and final phase of J&K assembly elections.

“The decision to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory is temporary. Only BJP will grant the status of “full-fledged state” to J&K. You make all BJP candidates victorious and choose them as your representatives, they will work to realise all your dreams and aspirations,” he stated while appealing to people to vote for them.

“In the last 60-65 years, this whole (Jammu) region was devastated. Forget development, the whole region was destroyed to the extent that in every sphere of life, it was lagging. The gulf on account of development was widening here. But Modi is working with full honesty to bridge this gulf. I’ll leave no stone unturned to fulfil your every aspiration, your every demand,” he assured.

Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina and J&K BJP President Working President Sat Sharma along with party candidates shared the dais with the Prime Minister.

On the anticipated lines, the PM’s main target was Congress (and allies) – BJP’s primary opponent in the Jammu region. Both parties consider the region as their bastion.

“Congress is the biggest culprit for the devastation of our several generations in J&K. Since independence, wrong policies of Congress have brought only death and destruction to people here,” he said, holding Congress responsible for every ill plaguing J&K, Jammu region in particular.

Addressing the concerns of the border population, he said, “A large portion of Jammu is along the borders. Just recall those days, when the border areas would frequently face shelling from across the border. Breaking news in the media used to be – ‘Yet again occurs ceasefire violation.’ Bullets would be sprayed from across the border; the Congress (government) would display a white flag from this side. However, when the BJP government responded to bullets with bombs, the other (Pakistan) side got the message loud and clear.”

PM Modi used the occasion to remind people of the surgical strike, which coincided with the date of his last election rally during assembly elections.

“Today it is September 28. I’m sure you would remember that on the night of September 28, 2016, surgical strikes were conducted. India had demonstrated to the world - This is new India which enters the (enemy’s) house to strike (back),” he reminded, evoking the loud cheers among the exuberant crowd.

He paused, waited for the cheering to subside and then resumed to build the same momentum as he said, “Since the day of action to this date, the masters of terrorism know very well - if they resort to any mischief, Modi will hunt them down, even under the ground. But you (people) should never forget Congress’ approach. It’s the party which had asked for evidence of a “surgical strike” from our valorous armed forces. It (Congress) still speaks Pakistan’s language on account of the “surgical strike.” You tell me, will you ever forgive such Congress? Congress can never respect those who lay down their lives for the nation.”

Then he hit back at his bête-noire Congress, saying, “This is the same Congress, which made our armed forces suffer for ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP). It resorted to a white lie to our armed forces to deny them OROP, on the pretext that it would create a burden on the state exchequer. But Modi has always given precedence to the interest of armed forces and their families over the exchequer.”

“That’s why after the formation of the BJP government in 2014, we implemented OROP. So far the armed forces’ families have been paid over Rs 1,20,000 crore. We recently revised OROP thus ensuring that armed forces’ families would get more money,” PM Modi said.

CONGRESS WORKING UNDER INFLUENCE OF “URBAN NAXALS”

The Prime Minister reiterated that the present Congress was influenced by “Urban Naxals.” “When intruders from foreign countries come here, Congress, for reasons unspecified, feels good. They (Congress leaders) see them (intruders) as their vote-bank. However, they unabashedly mock the pain of our people. Congress, NC and PDP are the biggest enemies of the (Indian) Constitution,” he said.

CONGRESS, NC, PDP TRIO BIGGEST ENEMIES OF CONSTITUTION

PM Modi said that they (Congress, NC, PDP trio) throttled the spirit of the Constitution granted by Baba Sahib Dr B R Ambedkar.

“Here in Jammu, several families, living here for several generations, did not even have the right to vote. Who deprived them of this right (to vote)? Congress, NC and PDP snatched this right from them. Now, the BJP, while respecting the true spirit of Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution, has given this right to our brothers and sisters. West Pak and PoK refugees, Gorkhas, Valmikis – they all have made a valuable contribution to the country. However, for several generations, they had been deserted, forced to live a life of second-class citizens,” he said and asked, “Can this sin of Congress and its allies be ever forgotten?”

PM Modi stated that the Indian Constitution provided a system for (running) Local Bodies.

“But these enemies (trio of Congress, NC and PDP) of the Constitution obstructed even the conduct of elections to Panchayat, Block Development Councils (BDCs) and District Development Councils (DDCs). Under the Constitution, there is a provision for reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs). However, the trio did not give this right to weaker sections of J&K. Only the BJP government has given all these rights enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

“Trio of Congress, NC and PDP are agitated over the positive change in J&K. They don’t like your (people’s) development. They are saying that they will revive the ‘old system’, if they come to power. They will bring back that old discriminatory Nizam (system of governance). Not to forget that the whole Jammu region has been a major victim of this discriminatory Nizam,” PM Modi said.

Multi-tier security was in place for the Prime Minister’s rally. BJP rank and file too had left no stone unturned to make it a grandiose affair to woo the electorate and replicate the magic of their top campaigner’s mega and maiden “Lalkar rally” at the same venue in Jammu, when he had not taken over the reins of the country as the Prime Minister.

The rally of PM Modi, who extensively campaigned in every phase along with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was aimed at giving desired impetus to the party campaign.

Earlier, the PM addressed election rallies in Doda on September 14 in the first phase and on September 19 in Srinagar and Katra in the second phase of ongoing assembly elections.