New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Article 370 was the “agenda of 4-5 families” in Jammu and Kashmir.
In an interview with news agency ANI, PM Narendra Modi talked about the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, and its impact on the union territory.
Modi said that Article 370 was never an agenda for the people of Jammu and Kashmir or the country’s people. He added that the wall of Article 370 was built in Kashmir for the benefit of just 4-5 families.
“Article 370 was the agenda of only 4-5 families, it was neither the agenda of the people of Kashmir nor the agenda of the people of the country. For their benefit, they had built such a wall of 370 and used to say that if 370 is removed, there will be a fire,” Modi said in the interview.
“Today, it has become true that after the removal of 370, there is a feeling of more unity. The feeling of belongingness is increasing among the people of Kashmir and hence its direct result is also visible in elections, tourism…” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he has had to shut down the internet in Kashmir to implement certain strategies to run the government after the abrogation of Article 370.
“I want to tell the justice system of our country that if the government has a design and strategy to do some work. To solve such problems, work had to be done using that strategy. Sometimes I had to shut down the internet for that. Due to this, an NGO went to court and it became a big legal issue… It is very important to save the country from such NGOs,” PM Modi said.
He further said: “Today, the children there proudly say that the internet has not been shut down for the last five years and we have been getting all the facilities for the last 5 years. There was some pain for a few days but it was for a good cause.”
He said that the record-breaking turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections meant that voters have accepted the Constitution of India. “When the common man votes there, it is not just to make someone win. Voting means that the voter accepts the Constitution of India and expresses his dedication towards the entire spirit of India… As a result, voting records of 40 years have been broken. It is a matter of greatest satisfaction for me that my brothers and sisters from Kashmir came forward to vote with great enthusiasm. By voting, they have given a message to the world and to those who used to have doubts,” he said.
PM Modi sought to reply to the Opposition’s charges of misuse of central agencies to gain political advantage. He termed such allegations of targeting Opposition leaders “garbage”. He said he would “recycle” the garbage. “The people [Opposition] who are saying this garbage, should be asked from where have they brought this. Such discussions would be done with them only,” PM Modi.
“As far as Modi is concerned, after being continuously abused for the last 24 years, I have become ‘gaali [abuse] proof’. Who called me ‘maut ka saudaagar [trader of death]’ & ‘gandi nali ka keeda [pest]’,” PM Modi commented on personal attacks during the election campaigns.
The last phase of the elections will take place on Saturday, and voting will be conducted for 58 parliamentary seats across 8 states and Union Territories. The results of the Lol Sabha election will be announced on June 4.
