Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Won’t allow Abdullahs, Muftis to divide the country: Modi

Blames Cong for mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Valley in 1989

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria ravi.khajuria@htlive.com

KATHUA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed the Abdullahs and Muftis, saying the two political families had “ruined” three generation­s of Jammu and Kashmir and he would not allow them to “divide” India.

Addressing a public rally at Kathua, Modi minced no words in condemning the Congress, National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for their “anti-India and vote bank politics”.

Starting his speech in Dogri language in an attempt to strike an emotional chord with a euphoric crowd, the PM said Abdullah and Mufti families had laid siege to the state for three generation­s. “For the better future of Jammu and Kashmir, they need to be voted out. They can bring their entire clan into the field, can abuse Modi as much as they want to but they won’t be allowed to divide this nation,” he said.

“I will not allow Abdullahs and Muftis to divide the nation. Ye Modi hai… na bikta hai, na darta hai, na jhukta hai (This is Modi. He neither bows down nor is scared of anybody),” he said amid intense sloganeeri­ng by the crowd. Appreciati­ng the first phase turnout in the state, Modi said people in Jammu and Kashmir voted in large numbers and “rattled” terrorists, separatist­s and demoralise­d the “mahamilava­t” alliance.

He also blamed wrong policies of the Congress for the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1989.

“The Congress and its friends are so worried about their vote bank that they overlooked the atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits. I would like to ask the Congress, who would do justice when they did injustice for 60 years? Will Congress ever be able to provide justice to Kashmiri Pandits? Will they be able to provide justice to those massacred in 1984 riots?” he asked.

Reaffirmin­g the BJP’s commitment towards the welfare of Kashmiri Pandits, Modi said, “The chowkidar is committed to let Kashmiri Pandits live on their land. The work has begun.”

“When the BJP returns to power after May 23, we will initiate efforts for a law to provide citizenshi­p to families which have come here from Pakistan and believe in ‘Ma Bharti’ (mother India),” he added.

“The Congress had been infected with germs. It is not the same Congress of the pre-independen­ce era. The party’s manifesto promises that AFSPA will be removed from the state if it comes to power,” he said.

“Can a patriot speak like this? Shouldn’t our security forces have a safety net?” he asked.

Referring to doubts raised over the 2016 surgical strikes and IAF strikes in Balakot, Modi claimed that the Congress never had faith in Indian armed forces. For Congress, army was a source of making money via defence deals, he said.

He also took pot shots at NC leader Omar Abdullah, who recently raked up a demand for a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir.

“Some people are threatenin­g of two prime ministers, some are speaking the language of anti-nationals but I want to make it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so. The people of J&K are not the slaves of the Abdullahs and the Muftis whose three generation­s have ruled this state,” he said. “Earlier Pakistan used to threaten us with nuclear (power)? Has the steam of that nuclear threat fizzled out?” he posed question to the people, who responded with “yes”.

 ?? NITIN KANOTRA /HT ?? PM Narendra Modi with BJP state president Ravinder Raina (left)) and party nominee from Udhampur Jitendra Singh (right) during a rally at Kathua on Sunday.
NITIN KANOTRA /HT PM Narendra Modi with BJP state president Ravinder Raina (left)) and party nominee from Udhampur Jitendra Singh (right) during a rally at Kathua on Sunday.

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