Soldiers lost lives due to Cong’s ‘love’ for Article 370: Modi

Launching a broadside against the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the opposition party to explain its “love" for Article 370 to the families of security personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi repeated the challenge he made to the Congress a day earlier in Maharashtra, daring it to declare that it will reverse his government's decision to abrogate the special status for J&K if voted to power. Addressing the first of his planned four election meetings in Haryana, the prime minister also raised the Rafale jet deal and the law against triple talaq, accusing the Congress of trying to block them.

Modi said while the opposition parties in Haryana are crumbling, the BJP has a strong team and “a strong captain" in Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Assembly polls will be held in the state on October 21. “India is taking big decisions, which no one could think of earlier,” he said, referring to the BJP government's move on Article 370.

Modi said there was feeling in Haryana and the entire country that J&K needed to be pulled out of the spiral of violence and put on the path of development.

“J&K and Ladakh are moving on the path of trust and development and the credit for this does not go to Modi, but to 130 crore people of this country and voters of this country,” he said. “You gave us a big mandate and I derive strength from you to realise your dreams,” he said.

“The entire country is also seeing that people whose interests were affected by the decision on Article 370 are in a state of shock,” he said.

“These people are raising questions on this decision and seeking help in foreign nations,” he added, in an apparent dig at the Congress.

Targeting those who are “unable to sleep” because of the decision, Modi challenged them to “muster courage” and tell the people of Haryana that if they win the elections they will bring back Article 370 and 35A. He had thrown a similar challenge on Sunday when he addressed public meetings in Maharashtra.

Modi referred to the youth from Haryana who had joined the security forces and died in Jammu and Kashmir, their bodies coming home “wrapped in tricolour”.

“Ask those mothers how many sons of the soil lost their lives because of your love for Article 370... ask how many were widowed and how many children were orphaned,” he said.

“Congress leaders must tell those who lost their dear ones for peace in J&K, why they love Article 370 so much. They must tell in what way this Article benefited the state,” he said. “And when the Lok Sabha elections come, mention in the manifesto that they will reverse these decisions. Do they have the courage to say so?” he said.