Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Friday that the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir would proceed without the specter of terrorism, protests, stone-pelting, or cross-border firing. This represents a notable departure from the “poll-boycott” campaigns orchestrated by separatist groups over the past three decades, which have now become a thing of the past.
Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, Modi asserted that he had delivered on his promise to end the long-standing suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He further challenged the Congress and other opposition parties to reinstate Article 370 of the Constitution, stating firmly, “They cannot do it.” The article was rescinded by the BJP-led government in August 2019.
“I have been visiting Jammu and Kashmir for the last five decades. I recall the Ekta Yatra in 1992 to hoist the tricolor at Lal Chowk (in Srinagar). We were warmly welcomed. In 2014, after offering prayers at the Vaishno Devi temple, I addressed a gathering at this very venue and pledged to free the people who have suffered for generations (due to terrorism),” he remarked.
He went on to state that, thanks to the people’s trust in his government, they had managed to fulfill that promise. “For the first time in decades, this election is being held without the fear of terrorism, separatism, stone-pelting, strikes, and cross-border terrorism, which are no longer election issues. There used to be concerns about the security of the Vaishno Devi and Amarnath pilgrimages, but the situation has completely changed. Jammu and Kashmir are experiencing development, and the people’s confidence in the government is growing,” the PM asserted.
Following the emergence of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the 1990s, separatists led by the Hurriyat Conference used to spearhead poll boycott campaigns in Jammu and Kashmir. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be the region’s first election following the revocation of Article 370, and there is neither such a campaign nor any stone-pelting this time around.
Referring to the annulment of Article 370, Modi threw down the gauntlet to the Congress and other opposition parties, challenging them to reinstate the contentious constitutional provision. “They cannot do it,” he affirmed.
The Prime Minister also criticized dynasty politics, remarking, “Families with dynastic setups have inflicted more harm on Jammu and Kashmir than anyone else. These parties are controlled by families, for families, and of families, and they are the ones who erected the barrier of Article 370. They fostered the illusion that only Article 370 could safeguard the lives of the people here.”
“With your support, Modi has not only demolished this barrier but also buried its remnants. I challenge the opposition parties, particularly the Congress, to declare that they will restore Article 370. The country will not even consider their proposition,” he added.
The rally, held at Modi Ground along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, aimed to galvanize support for Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who is seeking a third consecutive victory from the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency.
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be conducted in seven phases, with Udhampur set to vote on April 19. The Congress party has nominated Choudhary Lal Singh, while the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has nominated G M Saroori for the seat