STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Telling people of Kashmir that he wanted to share their pain and anguish, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought “one chance” for BJP to rule and to rid the state of Congress and “two dynasties” of National Conference and PDP.
“What have you seen in Kashmir in the last 30 years? Either it was Congress government or father-son (National Conference) government or father-daughter (PDP) government.
You have seen all three types of government.
“For themselves, they got everything but did nothing for you. Get rid of all three of them for once and give me one chance to serve you. I will make your dreams my own. I will put my entire government at your service,” the Prime Minister said.
He said corruption had destroyed Jammu and Kashmir.
“Enough is enough .. corruption has destroyed Jammu and Kashmir. Terrorism has ended but corruption has not. The biggest challenge we face is to end corruption. Unless corruption ends, the common man in Kashmir cannot progress,” he said.
In his 30-minute speech, Modi invoked Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s concepts of communal harmony, humanity and democracy to share the pain of Kashmiris and promised to take the state to new heights of development.
“People of Kashmir have given me a lot of trust and love.
I will repay this love and trust with interest in the form of development. I can die for this love and trust showered on me,” he said in his first election meeting in the Valley, that avoided any mention of controversial issues like abrogation of Article 370.
Wearing a traditional Kashmiri ‘Pheran’, Modi sought to strike a chord with the people saying,”I as Pradhan Sevak have come to share your pain and anguish. Your sorrow is my sorrow, your pain is my pain, your problem is my problem. I have not come to take anything.
“People in the army and police have died so have the innocent youths. Their loss is irreparable and no one can compensate for it but sharing can reduce the pain.”
Referring to the Chattergham incident, Modi said for the first time in 30 years a government has acted against army men responsible for killing two innocent teenagers in Budgam recently.
“Anyone makes a mistake…for the first time in 30 years, it is the Modi government’s wonder, that army admitted at a press conference that the killing of two youth (at Chattergam in Budgam district) was a mistake.
“An inquiry commission probed the matter and those who fired the bullets were slapped with charges. This is the proof of my good intentions. This has not happened in 30 years. I have come to provide justice to you,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister said every child was dear to her mother and the nation felt the pain when anyone got killed.
“Every mother’s son is dear to her. Every mother’s son’s blood is priceless. Anyone getting killed, the pain is felt by the country as much as the mother feels it,” he said.
The Prime Minister said 33,000 policemen sacrificed their lives in the line of duty since independence to ensure that their fellow countrymen can lead better lives.
“When the floods struck (Kashmir), the army soldiers served the people. While saving the people, the army personnel died. To protect the people at the risk of their lives has been our mantra,” Modi said.
He said while army and police personnel have laid down their lives in Kashmir while protecting the country, some innocent people were also killed, which was an irreparable loss.
Invoking Vajpayee’s famous 2003 speech at the same venue, Modi said,”Vajpayee made a good beginning. I have come to carry this forward. It is my duty to carry forward and fulfil his dreams of Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriyat (democracy) which are the three pillars that can turn around Kashmir in the 21st century on the path of development.”
