Article 370 abrogation eradicated terror breeding ground from J&K: Adityanath
Vote bank politics of Congress halted development: Dr Jitendra
STATE TIMES NEWS
Kathua: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday asserted that abrogation of Article 370, granting special status to erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, had helped in eradication of the breeding ground for terrorism from the valley.
Addressing an election rally in Jammu, Adityanath praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for abrogation of the Article and emphasised the palpable enthusiasm from Red Fort to Lal Chowk, celebrating the integration of Jammu and Kashmir into India’s fabric.
He pointed towards the strong security setup along the country’s borders.
“Can any Pakistani dare to infiltrate from across the border and compromise our security? They cannot. If a single cracker gets burst (along the border), Pakistan immediately resorts to clarification that they are not involved in it. They know that they have to face music if any such thing happens,” the chief minister said while addressing a rally in support of BJP candidate and Union minister Jitendra Singh.
“India is moving forward on the path of development and progress. This country with 140 crore people has respect and dignity. People of India are getting respect throughout the world,” he added.
Jammu and Kashmir has now joined the mainstream of development in India, he said while referring to various development projects in different sectors being undertaken in the Union Territory.
Lambasting the previous Congress government for inaction to deal with the problems in Jammu and Kashmir effectively, he said, “Jammu and Kashmir was left unclaimed. It was left to the mercy of God… We are not surprised over the behaviour of Congress as they have taken India to be their private property. They used to run away whenever there was any crisis in the country. Who has not seen the massacre of Doda?”
Adityanath said everyone in the country wants to see Jammu and Kashmir with pride as the crown of India.
“Where Shyama Prasad Mukerjee was martyred, Kashmir is ours. These were the slogans given then. Mukerjee laid down his life for this dream. No government could take a decision on it for 70 long years,” he said.
Campaigning for Jitendra Singh, Adityanath pointed out that the Union minister used to bat strongly in the parliament for Article 370 abrogation in a bid to ensure development of the region.
He underscored India’s self-reliance compared to Pakistan’s dependence on international aid, emphasising India’s growing global stature and reinforced border security measures.
“While India is providing free ration to 80 crore people today, Pakistan, since its separation from India in 1947, has been moving around with a begging bowl,” he said.
Ravinder Raina, while addressing the cheering crowd, hailed their love for the party and said that with their such enthusiastic support, the BJP will win Udhampur Kathua Doda Parliament Seat and Jammu-Reasi Parliament Seat with thumping majority. He said that Dr Jitendra Singh will work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after winning the elections with more than 4 lakh votes and work once again for the poor and needy people. He also recounted the mega development projects taken by the BJP MP Dr Jitendra Singh in this Parliamentary constituency.
“Voting will be held on 19th April. It will be a contribution from your side to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi work as the Prime Servant of the country for the third time”, said Ravinder Raina, while stressing that the PM Modi ji is working with the vision of Bharat in 2047.
Dr Jitendra Singh led a scathing attack on Congress, saying that due to the nationalist character of Kathua and the participation of Kathua people in nationalist activities, Congress halted the development projects here in Kathua. He said that the vote bank politics of Congress had stopped all the development here. But after 2014, this constituency is among the top most development-infused Parliamentary constituencies and recounted all the works like higher institutions, river Devika projects, cable bridge, industrial biotech park, Vande Bharat, National highways, power projects, water irrigation schemes, and many more, he added.
Polling in Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency will be held in the first of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on April 19.
Jitendra Singh had retained the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat in 2019, defeating Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, the grandson of erstwhile Maharaja Hari Singh, by a margin of 3,53,272 votes. Lal Singh only got 19,049 votes.
In 2014, Jitendra Singh had defeated former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad from the Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 60,976 votes. He was inducted in the Modi government as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.
‘No riots, curfews in UP during my tenure’
Kathua: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the previous governments in Uttar Pradesh gave patronage to those who created anarchy while there have been no riots or curfews during his seven-year tenure in the state.
Addressing an election rally in support of Jitendra Singh, the BJP candidate from the Udhampur-Kathua Lok Sabha constituency, Adityanath urged the people to vote for the saffron party, crediting the sitting MP for advancing the region’s development.
He also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a modern-day architect of India’s progress and attributed the nation’s achievements to his leadership.
“There was anarchy in Uttar Pradesh under the patronage of previous governments and curfews and riots a regular affair. During my tenure of seven years as chief minister of UP, there were no riots or curfews,” Adityanath said.
Now, the annual ‘Kavad Yatra’ takes place in a free atmosphere and “UP is the country’s first state where loudspeakers have been removed from religious sites”, the chief minister said, adding people want peace and development.
Adityanath said Ayodhya, Mathura and Vrindavan are models of how faith needs to be respected and asked people to especially visit Ayodhya — where a grand Ram Temple was inaugurated by Modi on January 22.
He said there was a “sense of security” among the people of Uttar Pradesh and if anyone does any mischief, the person is immediately taken to task.
Adityanath highlighted the changes that have taken place in the state ever since the BJP-led government came to power and said earlier, Hindus hesitated to embrace their beliefs and heritage but that has changed.
“People used to hesitate to call themselves Hindus. They were afraid to take the name of Ayodhya. When I became the chief minister in 2017, people questioned my visit to Ayodhya. I was told that some sections might get angry but we held festivals there,” he said.
Adityanath highlighted the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, contrasting the proactive approach of his government with what he described as the Congress’ dismissive stance towards Hinduism.
“If a good government is formed, it ends the long wait of 500 years. Today, a big Ram Mandir has been constructed in Ayodhya. Could the Congress have done it? The Congress used to say there is no Ram, no Krishna. Those who were accidental Hindus used to question the existence of Ram and Krishna. It was the biggest insult to our faith. How they tried to insult our faith by negating our deities,” he said.
The chief minister credited the Modi government for “bolstering” national security and propelling India to new heights of development, leading to its emergence as the world’s fifth-largest economy.
“We have ensured the security of this country and taken it to new heights of development. The entire country knows about the development work taking place. India has surpassed Britain, who occupied us for years, to become the fifth biggest economy in the world,” he said.
However, he also cautioned people against falling for “divisive tactics” and urged them to prioritise the nation’s future over caste, creed or region.
“It is important to vote in support of Dr Jitendra Singh who is contesting for the third time. Based on the development done during the last 10 years, Modi ji has sought the people’s mandate again to make India the third largest economy in the world.
“The credit for the development of India goes to Modi ji. He is the modern-day architect of India,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude towards the people of the country for choosing the BJP.
“Ram Mandir has been built in Ayodhya, India has become a big economy, there is a sense of security among the people, development projects are taking place, while schemes for the poor and marginalized have been launched.
“The credit goes to you also because you gave him (Modi) your vote and the command of this country,” he said.
