PM Modi dares Opposition to restore Article 370, promises assembly polls & statehood soon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dared the Opposition to restore Article 370, saying he hadn’t only abrogated the provision but also buried its “debris deep in the ground”.
Addressing an election rally here, he also said that the “Time is not far when assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir and statehood will be restored”.
The PM, who sought clear mandate to the two incumbent BJP MPs—union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore, also promised to rid J&K of ills that plagued it for the last 60 years.
Modi said that to watch their own interests, dynastic parties had created a barrier of Article 370 between J&K and the rest of the country but we demolished this barrier.
“For the sake of power, they (NC, PDP and Congress) had built a wall of 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. With your blessings, Modi not only demolished that wall but also buried the debris deep into the ground. I challenge any political party in India, especially Congress, to announce that they will bring back Article 370. This country and the people won’t even look at them,” Modi said.
“Post revocation of Article 370, the Congress led INDIA bloc tried to spread misconception about it in other states. But we have made Article 370, a history. I challenge Congress and other parties… do they have the guts to restore it. They cannot do it,” he added.
The PM underlined how the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved over the last decade, particularly after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, saying this was the first time after decades that elections were taking place in J&K without fear of terrorism and cross border firing.
“After decades, elections are happening in Jammu and Kashmir without fear of terrorism and threat of cross-border firing. Terrorism, separatism, Article 370, stone pelting, Bandhs (strike calendar of the separatists) and border firing are no more poll issues. People in Kashmir including women give me a lot of blessings because their life has changed. They know that their sons now wouldn’t go astray,” he said while referring to improved security index since 2015 and especially after abrogation of Article 370.
“Now schools are not being burnt, they are decorated. Now, there is a lot of development of infrastructure in health, education, industry and other sectors,” he added.
PM Modi said the Centre was committed to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“The time is not far when assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir also. Jammu and Kashmir will get back its state status. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLAs and your ministers,” he said adding that whatever he has done so far only served as a trailer of the work that he was yet to do in the region.
“Modi thinks with far-sightedness. What has happened so far was just the trailer. I have to get down to the task to create a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir,” he asserted.
To be sure, the Congress manifesto has only promised to restore statehood to Jammu & Kashmir if it comes to power at the Centre. The Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party, however, have been demanding that Article 370, which gave special status of J&K, be restored.
PM Modi targets the NC and PDP
“Congress, National Conference, PDP and all other parties want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to those old days. No one has caused as much damage to J&K as these family-controlled parties. Here political party means, of the family, by the family and for the family. They try to spread false narratives about Article 370. These people must ask the women of J&K that how abrogation of Article 370 has ended discrimination with them. How Valmikis, Gurkhas, refugees, Paharis, Padris, Gadda Brahmins got benefits after abrogation of Article 370,” he said.
Four years after its abrogation, Article 370 has taken centre stage in the election campaigns in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following revocation of Article 370 and 35-A on August 5, 2019, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into a union territory in October that year.
Seeking a clear mandate to the BJP, he said, the ensuing elections are not just to elect a MP but to form a strong government.
In the ensuing elections, the BJP has been eyeing over 400 plus seats.
He highlighted all-round development in J&K in the past 10 years in the form of IITs, IIMs, AIIMs, modern roads, tunnels and rail connectivity.
“Now schools are not burnt here, they are decorated. Now AIIMS, IITs and IIMs are being built here. Now modern tunnels, modern wide roads and wonderful rail journeys are becoming the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and referred to influx of tourists and pilgrims in record numbers.
He also recalled how regulating Vaishno Devi and Amarnath Yatra was considered a big task in the past.
“Earlier, conducting the Vaishno Devi and Amarnath yatra peacefully used to be a difficult task. In the last 10 years, we have tightened the noose around terrorists and separatists and in the next five years you will see new heights of development,” PM Modi said.
Congress kept Shahpur Kandi Dam in a limbo
Modi also slammed the Congress for keeping Shahpur Kandi Dam in a limbo for decades.
“While agricultural fields of Jammu remained dry and villages in darkness, the water of Ravi river flowed into Pakistan for decades. We completed the project and now farmers in Kathua and Samba are getting irrigation and the dam is producing electricity for them,” he said.
“When there is a strong government, it completes the work by challenging the challenges,” he added.
Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, from where, Dr Jitendra Singh is seeking a re-election for a third term, will go to polls in the first phase on April 19.
A triangular fight is all set to take place in this constituency where Congress has fielded Choudhary Lal Singh and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has fielded three-time ex-MLA GM Saroori.
Jitendra Singh retained Udhampur seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls defeating Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, the grandson of erstwhile Maharaja Hari Singh, by a margin of 3,53,272 votes. Lal Singh only got 19,049 votes at that time.
In 2014, Dr Jitendra Singh had defeated former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad by a margin of 60,976 votes.
Slams opposition leaders for consuming mutton during Sawan & sharing video
Modi strongly criticised opposition leaders for allegedly consuming mutton during the holy month of Sawan and sharing its video on social sites. He said their actions displayed their “Mughal mentality”.
Without naming anyone, Modi said, “These people cooked mutton after visiting a criminal’s house during holy month of Sawan and they made videos to hurt the religious sentiments of the people.”
In 2023 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had visited former Bihar chief minister Lalu Yadav in Delhi, where the two leaders cooked Bihar’s special mutton. The video went viral. Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav had met on August 4, 2023 and their video was released a few days after the holy month of Sawan ended last year.
Recently, RJD leader Tejasavi Yadav posted a video of him eating fish in a helicopter. The BJP slammed him for eating fish during Navratri.
“When Mughals attacked here, they were not satisfied with defeating the ruling kings, unless they broke the temples and destroyed the places of worship. They found enjoyment in that. In the same way, by showing the video in the month of Sawan, they want to provoke the people of the country with the Mughal mentality,” said Modi.
He, however, clarified that neither Modi nor law prevents anyone from eating veg or non-veg whenever they like.
“But these people have other intentions to please their vote-banks. People will not forget this,” he said.
“Whom are you trying to please by showing the video of your non-veg food during Navratri and by hurting the people’s sentiments” he added.
The PM said that he would be attacked by the opposition for his remarks but it was his duty to speak up when things become unbearable.
“It is my duty in a democracy to speak up when things become unbearable. I am fulfilling my duty by telling the right aspect of things,” he said.