Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing his first poll rally in J&K ahead of the coming elections, on Saturday cited his government's efforts to bring peace and development to the troubled region as he lashed out against the "most corrupt" Congress and the other dynastic parties like the NC and the PDP, who had "sinned" against the people by depriving them of their rights and allowed terrorism to flourish.
In his address at the rally in Doda district, the PM said: "The Congress is the most dishonest and misleading political party in the country. And its ‘Royal Family’ (the Gandhis) is the most corrupt political family of the country."
"The petty politics and mean thinking of the Congress leaders became clear during the Congress President’s (Mallikarjun Kharge) visit to J&K recently. He said if their party had 20 more seats in the Lok Sabha, they would put BJP leaders, including Modi, in jail... 2014, 2019, and 2024. After 60 years, the country's people have three times given us an opportunity to serve them. We run the government to crush corruption... for the welfare of the common man... Whenever there is no positive approach, then they have no agenda but to put people in jail. They should have talked about J&K's welfare but only talked about sending people to jail," he said.
PM Modi commended the gathering's high level of 'josh' (enthusiasm).
"I am seeing that our sisters and daughters have come in such large numbers to bless us. I am highly grateful to you. Your love and blessing will be returned threefold by me by working harder for the country. We together will make a safe and prosperous J&K. This is Modi’s guarantee," he said.
Attacking the dynastic parties, he said: "The political parties you trusted did not care for your children. They did everything for their own children. These people never allowed new leadership to emerge. You know that after 2000, there were no Panchayat elections. No DDC polls were held. These dynastic families never allowed talented youth to come forward."
"In 2014 after coming to power, I tried to empower the local youth. Panchayat and urban bodies elections were held so that democracy reached the grassroots level and youth came forward. After local bodies elections, 30-35,000 youth came forward and took the reins of power into their own hands. The development that took place here during the last 20 years, owes itself to these youth. Today I salute the Josh of youth, whether a male or a female."
PM Modi termed the elections a fight between three families - the Congress, the NC, and the PDP - and the youth of J&K who have come forward with dreams of a better future.
"In J&K, these three families have done a sin against the people. These families encouraged and patronised land encroachers and people had to beg even for routine facilities. Only those who were close to these three families were employed in government service. This created the ground for separation and violence and was taken advantage of by the enemies of the country."
"This region (Chenab Valley) is a witness to the worst period of violence. Even before sunset, undeclared curfew would begin. All businesses and life activities would shut down."
"Today terrorism is on its last legs. Stones thrown at police are now used to build the ‘Naya Kashmir’. Who has done all this? Not Modi alone, but all this has been achieved by the people of Doda and other places."
The Prime Minister said that they had promised to remember Tikka Lal Taploo who was killed by terrorists on this day three decades before, and terror let loose on the Kashmiri Pandit community in its wake.
"I felicitate the J&K BJP for promising the Tikka Lal Taploo scheme to give Kashmiri Pandits their rights."
"Our daughter, (BJP's Doda candidate) Shagun Parihar’s father and uncle were killed by terrorists. We have fielded her here. She is not just our candidate, but she is the living example of the BJP's resolve to finish terrorism," PM Modi asserted.
He said the parties, who ruled for J&K for decades, never bothered about the future of people’s children.
"Modi is worried about you and the future of your children. All children should get an education and move forward. We opened new schools and colleges here. We opened a medical college in Doda."
"In our manifesto, we have announced the Pandit Prem Nath Dogra employment scheme. We will make this region a heaven for tourists. I am told that film shooting in Doda did not take place after terrorism. We promise to change this so that film units not only from the country, but also from abroad, come here. We have announced a new film policy. J&K will dominate films in India and the rest of the world," the PM said.
On the key demand, PM Modi said that his BJP will give statehood to J&K, "but be careful of those, who for their benefit, deprived you of your rights".
"They now keep a copy of the Constitution in their pocket without any respect for it. They have injured the soul of Babasaheb (Ambedkar)... otherwise there would not have been two Constitutions in one country. They did not give their rights to Paharis nor did they even speak about SC, OBC reservations."
"Under the garb of Article 370 and 35A, our daughters were deprived of their rights. The election manifestos of the NC and the PDP say they will get Article 370 back. What does it mean? They will deprive Paharis, STs, SCs and OBCs of reservations, first-timers of their voting rights, and also deprive women of their rights to ancestral lands. There would again be stone pelting, hartals..." he warned.
Amid his address, the PM walked over to the BJP candidates sitting on the dais and appealed to people to vote for them.
The PM will again visit J&K on September 19 to address a rally in Srinagar and another in Katra town of Jammu division.
J&K goes to vote on September 18, September 25, and October 1. Counting will take place on October 8.