Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the upcoming assembly election is a contest between the young leadership devoted to Jammu and Kashmir's development and the three dynastic families that "destroyed" the region by "encouraging" corruption and "depriving" the people of their rights.
Addressing an election rally in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Doda district of Jammu region, Modi said terrorism is taking its last breath and reiterated his government's promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
However, he cautioned the people against bringing the National Conference, the Congress and the People's Democratic Party back to power, alleging their policies had prepared the ground for terrorism, stifled young leadership and "hollowed out" J-K, and stressed that the election would decide the future of Jammu and Kashmir which has "remained the target of foreign powers".
This was the maiden election rally by the prime minister in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the first phase of the assembly polls on September 18, which will cover 24 seats spread across the three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu and the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam.
Modi began his nearly 45-minute speech by welcoming the people who attended the rally in the Kashmiri language. "This time, the (assembly) election will decide the future of Jammu and Kashmir, which has remained the target of foreign powers since Independence," he told the gathering.
"Not only this, dynastic politics made this beautiful region hollow from within. The political parties you trusted never cared for your children. They only cared for and projected their children and did not let new leadership grow," Modi added.
The prime minister said his government focused on carving out a young leadership in Jammu and Kashmir soon after "we came to power at the Centre in 2014".
"The youths of J-K used to face the brunt of terrorism. The parties that encouraged familism by misleading people enjoyed power and did not allow young leaders to take root.
"Panchayat elections had not taken place since 2000 and Block Development Council and District Development Council polls had never taken place… After 2014, I tried to bring forth the young leadership, holding panchayat polls in 2018, BDC elections in 2019, and DDC in 2020.
"The reason for holding these elections was to take democracy to the grassroots so that the youth could take charge," Modi said.
Continuing his tirade against the Congress, the NC and the PDP, he said these parties never wanted the youths to join politics but "we challenged their intentions and the result was that 30,000 to 35,000 youngsters got elected (in the local body elections) and took control of J-K".
In the years under the BJP government, the prime minister said, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a new phase of development and the credit for that goes to these elected youth. "I salute them for their contribution," he added.
"This assembly election is between three families and the youth. On one side, there are those three families, and on the other, my daughters and sisters who are driven by their dreams.
"The Congress, NC and PDP have done nothing short of a sin as these three families are responsible for destroying J-K. They encouraged corruption and land grabbers and deprived the people of their rights and facilities.
"They gave government jobs to only those linked to them, besides preparing the ground for separatism and terrorism," the prime minister alleged.
He said terrorism is taking its last breath in Jammu and Kashmir.
"In the last 10 years, the change witnessed in J-K is nothing short of a dream come true. The stone that used to be thrown at police and the Army is now being utilised for building a new Jammu and Kashmir… This was not done by Modi but by the people of Jammu and Kashmir," the prime minister said.
He said the enemies of the country benefited from the policies of the three families as they promoted terrorism to make their shops run. “Due to their sins, thousands of our youths lost their lives.”
Referring to the peak of militancy when shops and business establishments used to be closed before dusk, he said the home minister of the previous Congress-led government was "frightened" to visit Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of Srinagar.
He said the J-K BJP has promised in its manifesto the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrant pandits to provide them their rights.
“The BJP also promised to bring white paper to provide justice to all victims of terrorism and you are aware that BJP keeps its promise,” he said.
"We and you, together, will build a secure and prosperous J-K and this is Modi's guarantee,” he said.
The prime minister said the political parties that ruled J-K for decades "deprived your children of facilities because they never accepted you as their own. You were only a ladder for them to reach the power.”
However, he said, "Modi is the person who cares for your children and your future and that is the reason that the BJP-led government opened a number of educational institutions and medical colleges to fulfil your long pending dreams".
The statehood will be restored to J-K by the BJP government, he said but added, "You have to remain cautious of those who for their interests have taken your rights."
"They are the ones who deprived Gujjars and other communities of their right to reservation and deprived sections of the society of their voting rights as guaranteed by the Constitution.
“They have exploited the constitution for their own benefit…," he said.
The second phase of polling is on September 25 covering 26 constituencies. The last phase will be on October 1 for 40 seats.
