- PM’s Jammu Visit Rings With Calls For Development, Connectivity
- Says Art 370 Was Biggest Hurdle In J&K’s Development
Jammu- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and was abrogated in 2019, was the biggest hurdle in the development of the erstwhile state.
Modi also said that after the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir, which is now a Union Territory, has witnessed balanced development across regions and in all sectors.
Addressing a rally after launching multiple projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir and projects worth Rs 13,500 crore for other parts of the country, he also said the government has reached people’s doorstep in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time.
“This is Modi’s guarantee and this will continue,” he said.
The prime minister said Article 370 was the main hurdle in bringing all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir and the BJP government has abrogated it.
“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 Jammu and Kashmir is getting free from the dynastic rule,” he said
“A developed India means a developed Jammu and Kashmir.”
Modi said the common people of Jammu and Kashmir got assurance of social justice mentioned in the Constitution for the first time after abrogation of Art 370. “There is a lot of enthusiasm in the whole world today about a developing Jammu and Kashmir.”
Referring to the projects which he either inaugurated or laid the foundation stone for, Modi said it was a remarkable day for Jammu and Kashmir. “The projects in Jammu and Kashmir will propel holistic development of the region,” he said.
The prime minister said that a record number of schools, colleges and universities were established in India in the last 10 years, with 50 new degree colleges set up in Jammu and Kashmir alone.
Modi asserted that his government was committed to transforming the Valley into a tourist destination that could rival Switzerland.
Modi heralded a new era for the region and declared that Jammu and Kashmir is breaking free from dynastic rule, with his government now directly engaging with the populace.
During his over 30-minute speech, Modi reminisced about the tumultuous past of J-K marred by violence and separatism and commended the current shift towards a harmonious and prospering Jammu and Kashmir, attributing it to balanced development initiatives.
“We have seen the days when only disappointing news used to come from JK. Bomb, guns, kidnapping and separatism had become its misfortune. Today, we are seeing a new J-K with balanced and holistic development,” Modi said in his speech which he began in Dogri language.
Despite rain, thousands of locals attended the rally. It was Modi’s second visit to the Jammu region after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Earlier he had addressed a public rally in Samba district in April 2022.
Expressing his vision for a flourishing Jammu and Kashmir, Modi vowed to construct infrastructure to rival international destinations like Switzerland.
“We have pledged a developed J&K and I have full faith that we will make Jammu and Kashmir more developed and fulfill all your dreams within the next few years…We will create such infrastructure in Kashmir that people will forget going to Switzerland,” he said.
The prime minister lauded the newfound spirit of the youth in the region, highlighting the transition from desolation to vibrancy in everyday life and also shared his optimism regarding investments from Gulf countries, underscoring the positive reception towards the erstwhile state.
Reflecting on the global interest ignited by the G20 event in Srinagar, Modi expressed satisfaction over the surge in tourism and devotees visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
“The beauty of Kashmir, traditions and culture which got highlighted during the G20 event (in Srinagar last year) had left an impression on the people and everyone wants to visit the place,” Modi said expressing satisfaction over the footfall of a record number of over two crore tourists and highest number of devotees to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in a decade.
He said there is a lot of enthusiasm in the whole world today about a developing Jammu and Kashmir, emphasising the monumental impact of scrapping Article 370 in ushering in an era of inclusive growth and social justice.
Modi urged the nation to grant his party 370 seats in the upcoming Parliamentary elections, marking the significance of the Article 370 annulment.
Stating that J&K was a victim of “dynastic rule” with those at the helm of affairs only working for their self-interest, the prime minister said he is happy that the UT is getting freed of this.
“The dynastic rulers were only concerned about their own interests. They had no concern for the future of the youth and your families as they were only concerned about their own families. The government whose priority is the welfare of just one family cannot think of the welfare of the common people,” Modi said in an apparent reference to Congress, National Conference and PDP who ruled the erstwhile state in the past seven decades.
Taking on the Congress party, he said this party only believed in lip service to the armed forces and it was his government which fulfilled promises like ‘One Rank One Pension’, benefiting soldiers. He rounded off his address by affirming that a prosperous India is synonymous with a thriving Jammu and Kashmir.
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