For the first time, there will be a BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir with a full majority, stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, while addressing a rally in Jammu ahead of the last phase of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir on October 1.
“There would be a full majority government of the BJP,’’ the prime minister said, adding, “This will be a historic verdict." He said this was his last rally, as the elections would conclude in J&K on October 1.
Referring to the 2016 surgical strikes by the Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), he said the strikes had shaken the enemy. He said that no one would dare to hatch conspiracies against the country now, as the "mentors of terrorism know Modi will trace them wherever they hide”.
“Today is September 28, the anniversary of the historic surgical strikes against Pakistan,” Modi said. “It was on this day we hit the enemy right in their homes.” He added the strikes showed the world that this was the new India, that could no longer be taken for granted.
Attacking Congress for demanding proof of the strikes, Modi charged, "Congress stooped so low that it demanded evidence of surgical strikes. Do they deserve votes?" He also said today was the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. "I pay rich tributes to this fallen hero," he said.
The prime minister said that in his travels across Jammu and Kashmir in the past few weeks, he observed widespread enthusiasm for the BJP. He claimed that people were tired of Congress, People's Democratic Party and the National Conference. “People don’t want the bad old days of corruption and backdoor appointments to return,” he said. “They don’t want terrorism, separatism, and bloodshed to return. People want peace. They want a better future through the governance of the BJP,” he said. "In the last two phases, people’s mood suggests they have voted in favour of the BJP," Modi claimed.
He assured the people of Jammu that they would, for the first time, have a government of their choice. “This is a city of temples. You should not lose this last opportunity. A BJP government would take care of all their worries," he said.
Modi also addressed the sense of discrimination in Jammu, saying that the region had been subjected to disparity and injustice, which only he could rectify. He recalled a time when bullets and shells were routine in the area. “We responded to bullets with artillery shells, and that sent a message across,” he said.
Modi also criticized Congress for disrespecting fallen soldiers and failing to implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’. “Soon after taking the reins of the country, I announced 'One Rank, One Pension' for soldiers and their families,” he said. "Recently, this scheme was enhanced to provide more facilities to the families of soldiers," the prime minister added.
He further claimed that Congress was now under the control of urban naxals. “When foreign intruders come to India, it feels good to Congress. They see vote banks in them but are least bothered about our own people," Modi charged.
He called the Congress, PDP, and NC the biggest enemies of the Indian Constitution. “They are the ones who didn’t allow the implementation of B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution,” he said.
Lastly, Modi announced the BJP’s Tika Lal Taplu scheme for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, which would be implemented after government formation in J&K.