MUMBAI: While addressing his first election rally at Jalgaon, seeking re-election of Fadnavis government in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lodged a scathing attack against the opposition and accused them of politicizing the government’s decision of abrogation of article 370 and 35A.
“From the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji, I challenge the opposition to make their stand clear and announce if they support the decision taken by the government to remove Article 35 A and Article 370,” Modi said.
“We are constantly working to return Jammu and Kashmir to a full state of normalcy and it will not take us more than 4 months to make it possible,” Modi said and added that some political parties and their leaders are speaking the same language as our neighbouring country.
“There appears to be great coordination between them,” he said.
“You can see the statements made by the leaders of Congress and NCP in the last few months, see the meetings of their leaders. Their thinking about Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh seem completely opposite to that of the country,” PM Modi added.
Mounting his attack at those criticising Kashmir move, PM Modi asked, “Can these leaders, who are trying to fool the people with their crocodile tears, bring back Article 370 in Kashmir? Will the people of India allow them to? Will the people of India accept it?”
The Prime Minister further said that Jammu and Ladakh is not just a piece of land but is India’s crown.
“On August 5, we did something that people thought was impossible. We removed Article 370 so that the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh could progress along with the rest of the country. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is not just a piece of land for us, but is India’s crown,” Modi said.
Modi also stressed that a “New India” is being formed.
“Today New India is determined not to be bound by unnecessary bonds of the past. Today, the new India is strengthening its own present, is also deciding its own future. For some time now we have been constantly challenging the challenges,” Modi said.
While appealing people to elect the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government back to power again for the development of the state, PM Modi also highlighted various initiatives taken by the state government.
“I had promised you that if given a chance, I would give you a stable, clean, caring and empowered Govt that will take everyone on the road to progress. We have proved all these features during the last five years of CM Devendra Fadnavis’ governance,” he said.
Further praising the Fadnavis government, PM Modi said that chief minister has taken Maharashtra on the road of progress during his tenure, adding there has been growth and no corruption in every department and area in the last five years.