SRINAGAR: The BJP-led government at the Centre removed Article 370 because it was the biggest hurdle to the development of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he launched multiple development projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore related to health, education, rail, road, aviation, petroleum, and civic infrastructure sectors.
The PM also opened the longest transportation tunnel of the country on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link and flagged off the first electric train in Kashmir.
“J&K has suffered a lot due to dynastic politics for decades. They are only concerned about their families and their own interests and not about the interests of people. The youth are the bigger losers in dynastic politics,” PM Modi said while addressing a public rally at Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu.
Modi said after Article 370 was read down, there is widespread enthusiasm about the development of Jammu and Kashmir. People from all over the world want to visit the region to enjoy its scenic beauty, he added.
“The Gulf countries are willing to invest in J&K. The entire world is enchanted by its natural beauty and everybody wants to come to Kashmir,” he said, adding that his government will convert the Valley into a tourist destination that could rival Switzerland.