Modi: Decision to Make J&K a UT Is Temporary

While addressing a well-attended BJP rally at Jammu’s Maulana Azad Stadium, the Prime Minister exuded confidence that his party will form a government for the first time in J&K after securing an absolute majority in the ongoing Assembly elections.

As the BJP eyes a big win mainly in the predominantly Hindu segments of the Jammu region, Mr Modi coined a catchy slogan for its votes -- Jammu ke yahi pukar, aa rahi hai BJP sarkar. Apparently, to make certain that they vote in favour of the BJP, he promised them sops and ending the “discrimination”, which, he said, was meted out to the Jammu region by the previous governments.

“A large part of Jammu falls in proximity to the border (with Pakistan). Recall the times when the guns were fired from across the border every so often. Almost every day breaking news reported by the media would be Pakistan has once again violated the ceasefire. The Congress people would raise the white flag, but the BJP replied to a bullet fired from across with a (artillery) shell, which brought those sitting across to their senses,” he said.

The Prime Minister said it was on the night of September 28, 2016 when the Indian Army launched surgical strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir and by doing so, it sent out a message to the world -- "Ye naya Bharat hai jo ghar mein ghus ke maarta hai (This is new India that takes the attack home).” He added, “Today, the masters of terror know that, if they ever commit a blunder, Modi will hunt them up from even pataal.”

Mr Modi asked the people never to forget the insolence of the Congress, which, he said, is the party that sought the proof of these surgical strikes from the Army. “The Congress is the party that even today speaks the language of Pakistan when it comes to the surgical strikes,” he said. When he asked, “Tell me, will you ever pardon such a party?”, the audience responded by yelling "nahi, nahi (no, no)".

He alleged that the Congress has never shown respect for those who die for the country. “It tantalised them for the One Rank One Pension (OROP) for four decades. It lied to them by saying it will be a burden on the state exchequer. But Modi didn’t care about the state exchequer, keeping in view the interests of the families of the Army personnel. After being voted to power in 2014, we implemented the OROP and, so far, these families have received pension benefits to the tune of over `120, 000 crores. We have revived the OROP recently and they are set to get more money."

Calling those who have “captured” the Congress party today “urban Naxals", the Prime Minister said, “They like the people who have infiltrated into India because they use them as a vote-bank but poke fun at the agony of our own people.”

In a scathing attack on the Congress, the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Prime Minister said that these parties are exasperated with the change J&K is witnessing.

“They are repugnant to the development that is taking place here. They say if they are voted to power, they will bring that old system back. They want the system of discrimination of which the Jammu region always became a victim back,” he said, adding, “It is not just the Congress; the NC and the PDP also discriminated against the Jammu region; they can go to any extent for the appeasement (of their vote-bank).”

The Prime Minister asked: “Do you hear the speeches of their leaders? How are they attacking the Dogra legacy? How are they defaming Maharaja Hari Singh by levelling false allegations against him? The Congress family, which is the most corrupt family in the country, is calling the Dogra rule corrupt. Tell me, is this allegation acceptable to you?”

Accusing the Congress, the NC and the PDP of being the “biggest enemies” of the Constitution, he said, “They strangulated the spirit of Baba Sahab's (B.R. Ambedkar) Constitution by depriving various sections of people of their right to vote.”

Mr Modi claimed that it was the BJP that honoured the Constitution and gave voting rights to the West Pakistani refugees, those from the PoJK, Gorkhas and Valmikis “who were earlier forced to live as second-class citizens”. He also accused these parties of violating the Constitution by not holding the panchayat, BDC, DDC and other local bodies elections in J&K.

The Prime Minister said the people are now looking forward to a government to see J&K free of “corruption, terrorism and separatism” for peace and a better future for their children. “The people are fed up with these three families -- Congress, NC and PDP. They don’t want the return of the bygone nizam (arrangement) wherein corruption was rampant, discrimination persists in job distribution. There was dread, alienation and bloodshed. People want peace and tranquillity and a secure future for their children. That’s why the people of J&K want a BJP government,” he said.

At the rally, Mr Modi claimed that the people voted overwhelmingly in favour of the BJP candidates in the first and second phases of the polling and the enthusiasm and mood of the voters ahead of the third and final phase being held on October 1 suggest the party will win this election hands down and form a government on its own with a majority mandate.

“I want to tell the people of Jammu, especially that this election has provided you with a historic opportunity that you haven’t come across before. It is for the first time that a government is going to be formed as per the wishes of the people of the Jammu region. This is the city of temples. Don’t miss this opportunity. Don’t make a mistake. The BJP will remove your agony. The BJP will also undo the discrimination meted out to Jammu for decades.”

Mr Modi added: “This election is going to write a new chapter. Previously, the Congress, NC, PDP leaders and their families benefitted from their governments while you faced destruction. The Congress is the party responsible for the loss of generations (to militancy and violence). From the time of Independence, its wrong policies gave you only destruction.”

Talking about the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Mr Modi said that the BJP has announced the Tika Lal Taplu scheme for their rehabilitation. Tika Lal Taplu Taplu was a Kashmiri Pandit leader of the BJP gunned down by militants in the initial spate of insurgency in 1990. He said: “The BJP has also promised to enhance the financial assistance to the (displaced) Kashmiri Pandits.”