Srinagar: On his first visit to Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said only a few political families had benefited from the provision that had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and that the people of J&K were now free from its “shackles”.
At a public rally at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, he highlighted the Centre’s development efforts in J&K over the last five years, and also said that the Congress and its allies “misled the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the name of (Article) 370”.
Speaking about Article 370, the PM said it was a shackle that the people are now free from. Since the special status was removed, there are equal opportunities and rights for everyone in J&K, he said.
Addressing the crowd, which largely consisted of government employees, Modi said he is “elated and indebted” for the love he received in Srinagar, and that he will “not leave any stone unturned to return the debt of this love”. He also said he is working hard to win the hearts of the people of J&K, and added that he believes he is on the right path.
According to the Union Territory’s administration, around one lakh people joined the PM’s address online in various districts of the Valley. This “naya Jammu Kashmir is the one that we had been waiting for decades,” the PM said.
“Jammu and Kashmir is breathing freely today, and hence achieving new heights,” the PM said, adding that his government’s decision to include Paharis among groups being included under Scheduled Tribes in J&K would benefit the communities.
At the Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir event, he dedicated the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme worth about Rs 5,000 crore to the nation. He also launched multiple projects in the tourism sector worth more than Rs 1,400 crore under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD scheme, including the project for ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’ in Srinagar. He also spoke to beneficiaries of government schemes at the venue and through video conferencing.
The PM also pointed to two AIIMS coming up in Kashmir as well as in Jammu. He also mentioned the seven new medical colleges, two cancer hospitals, and institutes like IIT and IIM being set up in the region.
