Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha on Thursday. (LSTV/PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the NDA government could abrogate Article 370 because it placed its trust in the Kashmiri people even though three former Chief Ministers of the state — Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah — had warned that the move would not be acceptable.
“Many said that Kashmir would be on fire if Article 370 was removed. Many are questioning us for detaining some political leaders. On August 5, Mehbooba Mufti said that India had betrayed Kashmir and we would have been better with deciding otherwise in 1947. Can we accept such people?” Modi said in his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidential Address in Lok Sabha.
“Omar Abdullah ji ne kaha tha ki Article 370 ka hataaya jaana aisa bhukamp laayega ki Kashmir Bharat se alag ho jayega (Omar Abdullah had said that if Article 370 is removed, then an earthquake will separate Kashmir from India),” Modi said, adding that Farooq Abdullah said if Article 370 was removed, then no one would unfurl the national flag in Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said that these former J&K CMs did not have trust in the people of the state. “These people talk like this because they do not have trust in the people of Kashmir. We have placed our trust in the people of Kashmir and abrogated Article 370 and are now bringing in development of Kashmir at a fast pace,” Modi said.
Opposition members kept asking the Prime Minister “Where is Farooq Abdullah?”, pointing to the fact that the Kashmiri leaders have been kept under detention since the removal of the special status of J&K last year.
In response, Modi said, “And you speak for such people? You approve of such people?”
Calling Kashmir the “crown jewel of India”, Modi said that the “identity of Kashmir” was buried on January 19, 1990 with the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. “Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir’s identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January?” he said, adding that the abrogation of Article 370 has led to the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.
In Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister slammed Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad for stating that the decisions on J&K were passed without discussion. He reminded the Congress of the scenes in Lok Sabha when the Bill for bifurcating Andhra Pradesh was passed in 2014. “The doors (of Lok Sabha) were shut, live telecast was stopped… there was no discussion… nobody can forget how the Bill was passed,” he said.
He said the Bills related to J&K were passed after long and detailed discussions. Elaborating his government’s initiatives in J&K, Modi said that for the first time in 70 years, the poor people of Jammu and Kashmir got benefits of reservation, an anti-corruption body was set up, BDC elections were held peacefully and the RERA came into force. The daughters of Kashmir will not be deprived of property rights now if they marry outside J&K, he said. For the first time, he said, J&K has got a comprehensive start-up, trade and logistics policy.
Modi attacked the Opposition for not offering any “constructive suggestion” during the debate, saying they made a “virtue out of stagnation”. He said steps are being taken to stop funding for separatists from across the border and the state police and Central forces are jointly taking action against terrorists.
In Lok Sabha, the PM said that the real identity of Jammu and Kashmir is its egalitarian attitude towards all faiths and its Sufi tradition, and added that the region cannot be left behind.
The Prime Minister said the restrictions imposed in the Union Territory are being removed and Union ministers are going to various of parts of the region, getting direct feedback from the people. The government would definitely act upon the feedback, he said.
Modi said his government is committed to work for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and for its all round development. He said Ladakh would be developed as a carbon-neutral Union Territory.