Only Indians, not Pak, will form Kashmir policies now: PM Modi

JAMMU: The time has changed and the policies on Kashmir will now be made only by the people of India and Kashmir without the interference of Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, even as he sharpened his attack on the opposition Congress over issues of Article 370, accusing it of "destroying the country" with wrong policies and strategy.

The prime minister accused the Congress of not repealing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir despite it being a temporary provision and said the party-led government kept giving false assurances to the country even as Kashmiri Pandits were forced out of the Valley by separatists and terrorists.

Modi rued the destruction of Kashmir's Sufi tradition, which ‘gave the message of unity and brotherhood’ and also touched upon the discrimination with Jammu and Ladakh region in past.

The PM made these comments in separate rallies held in Haryana on the last day of campaigning for the assembly polls.

“With the abrogation of Article 370, we have changed the history of Jammu and Kashmir for better. Now, the policies on Kashmir will be made only by the people of India and Kashmir without the interference of Pakistan, Modi said.

He blamed Pakistan for spreading separatism in Jammu and Kashmir.

“There was a time when terrorists used to decide what would happen on any given day. The calendars will not be decided by them (Pakistan) anymore.

“Our enemy nation (Pakistan) cannot decide the dates for discussions on Kashmir. Only India will decide that.

“The people of Kashmir and India will formulate policies for the region. The ones sitting in enemy countries cannot decide the fate of India anymore," said Modi at an election rally in Sirsa.

Raising the issue of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, Modi said in Ellenabad that what was called a temporary provision by B R Ambedkar, continued for over 70 years but the Congress did nothing about it.

The situation in Kashmir worsened as the government in Delhi remained in slumber, he said.

"The wrong policies and strategy of the Congress have destroyed the nation," he repeated in Ellenabad, stressing that it was people of India and Kashmir who will frame policies now.

"Time has changed, country has changed," he said.

Justifying the scrapping of provisions of Article 370, Modi said, "Should Kashmir have been allowed to be destroyed for the sake of power in Delhi? Should Kashmir be more important or post of a prime minister? Every Indian's reply is the same that PMs will come and go, Kashmir has to remain and prosper."

He said for 70 years, "no honest efforts" were made to find a meaningful solution to the issue even after innocents kept dying in J-K while the jawans sacrificed their lives for the safety and security of citizens there.

Attacking the Congress, he said, "The government which was in slumber in Delhi worsened the Kashmir situation. Initially, a portion of our territory was snatched away from us and became Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir."

"A few years later, Kashmir's Sufi tradition was buried. Its roots were shaken," he said, stressing that the Sufi tradition of Kashmir gave the message of unity and brotherhood.

“The Sufi culture of the Kashmir represented unity where people belonging to all sections and religions lived together peacefully. But separatists and terrorists systematically destroyed it and Congress government did nothing,” Modi said.

"But those sitting in Delhi could not see this. They thought if they take care of one or two families, Kashmir will be taken care of. Allow these one or two families to do whatever they want...if they have to loot, let them...if people are destroyed, let them be...Kashmir will be controlled...such things continued," said Modi in a stinging attack.

“With the same mindset, no political party was allowed to flourish there and national politics could not be carried out. Only those political parties who nurture separatism were strengthened. The separatism was strengthened and Delhi became weaker," he said.

He said separatist forces gained ground and Kashmir Pandits were attacked, their houses burnt and atrocities committed on women.

Modi said, "Then a trick was played when more than four lakh Kashmiri Pandit families were forced to leave their homes in the Valley, a few of them were killed, their houses burnt down and some of the women were raped."

"Those sitting in Delhi turned a blind eye to what was happening in Kashmir," he said.

He said later "discrimination and injustice" started with Jammu, Ladakh and Kargil.

"And therefore, I ended this temporary provision. When you made me permanent for five years, why would I allow this temporary thing to continue," he said.

At Rewari, Modi accused Congress leaders of failing to abrogate Article 370 despite having promised it in Parliament in 1964.

"During a debate in Parliament in 1964, the country's distinguished leader got upset there was division in the Congress. There was a demand that Article 370 be nullified and there be a debate on this issue in Parliament," he said.

"At that time, Congress leaders, with folded hands, had said that their demand would be met and Article 370 would be nullified in one year. But the matter was again put on the back burner," said Modi.

"What was the compulsion and what game was being played," he asked, urging people to punish the Congress for it in the assembly polls.

On the sharing of river waters with Pakistan, Modi said India would not allow its water to flow to Pakistan, saying for 70 years "our rivers kept flowing to Pakistan and our governments failed to act".

"You tell me, should we allow our water flow to Pakistan. Is this acceptable that our fields remain parched while Pakistan remaining green (harabhara)? How can it happen? You have the right over this water and I will not allow a single drop of water flow to Pakistan," he said.

In Ellenabad, Modi also slammed Pakistan for conspiring to push drugs into India to "destroy" the country's youth and called for tackling the problem of drug abuse with an iron hand.

"We have to fight against drug abuse collectively. It will destroy not only individuals, but families, the society and the country," he said.

Without naming Pakistan, the prime minister accused the neighbouring country of pushing drugs into India.

"When our neighbour could not succeed in its nefarious designs by sending terrorists and weapons, it hatched a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into our country to destroy our youth," he said, while asserting that "we have to deal with the problem of drugs smuggled from the neighbouring country the way we are fighting terrorists".

"We have to protect our borders, kill terrorists and save the young generation," Modi said.

"Our enemy has been conspiring against us to push our youngsters into drugs and we need to tackle it with an iron hand," he added.

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