Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday tore into the Congress, saying statements made by its leaders on Kashmir were “shameless” and encouraged separatists.
“All those who were in power till yesterday, they have taken a U-turn and are making shameless statements and giving their voices in support for calls for Azadi in Kashmir,” Modi told a rally at Bengaluru’s HAL airport.
“This Congress party is shameless and are using the same language that separatists in Kashmir use. They are using the same language that is used in Pakistan,” he said, adding that there will be no compromise on the national interest and security of the country.
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Although Modi did not name any Congress leader, former finance minister P. Chidambaram was quoted as saying on Saturday, “The demand in Kashmir Valley is to respect in letter and spirit Article 370. And that means that they want greater autonomy. My interactions in Jammu and Kashmir led me to the conclusion that when they ask for azaadi (independence), most people —- I am not saying all—(an) overwhelming majority, want autonomy. Therefore, I think we should seriously examine that question and consider on what areas we can give autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir,” Chidambaram had said in Rajkot on Saturday, The Indian Express reported.
The Congress party has already distanced itself from Chidambaram’s comments, saying they were made in his personal capacity.
Modi said that India had shown its might with its surgical strikes inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir and the Doklam standoff with China, but the Congress was busy spreading false information on incidents that saw the global community laud India and its prowess.
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Modi visited several places in Karnataka on Sunday to attend a series of events which include participating in the Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project in Dakshina Kannada, the 10th anniversary of ‘Shree Soundarya Lahari Samarpana’ in Bengaluru and inaugurating a 116-km railway line in north Karnataka built at a cost of Rs 1,282 crore.
In his speech in Bengaluru, Modi said that the country had no hope or aspirations from the Congress jparty anymore. Karnataka is one of the few big states where the Congress is still in power following the Bharatiya Janata Party sweep post the 2014 general election.
Modi’s Karnataka visit comes days before the state BJP launches its 2018 election campaign with its ‘Nava Karnataka Parivarthana Rally’ on 2 November.
“It seems like the population of Karnataka is not ready to wait any longer for elections,” Modi said in Bengaluru. He added that Karnataka seems to be eager to join other states in the path to development.