Era of bomb blasts in J&K replaced by development: PM hails 370 move

Jammu & Kashmir has exited the era of bomb blasts and entered the age of development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a public rally on Tuesday, hailing the government's decision to revoke Article 370, slamming dynasty politics for keeping the region deprived of growth, and urging people in the Union territory to propel the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) past 370 seats and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) across the 400 mark in the upcoming general elections.

- Ravi Krishan Khajuria

Modi, speaking in Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu City where he lay the foundation stone of development projects worth ₹32,000 crore across the region, described Article 370 as a wall that thwarted the development of Jammu & Kashmir, and said that the it was now razed to the ground.

"Article 370 was the biggest wall in the development of J&K, and BJP razed it. We will fulfil the unfulfilled dreams of the last 70 years of the people of J&K in the next few years - this is Modi's guarantee, which is guaranteed," he said.

The term "Modi ki gaurantee" is one of the buzzwords of the BJP in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. "See the power of 370. After its revocation, today, I have the courage to ask the countrymen to give 370 (seats) to BJP in the coming elections and take NDA beyond 400 mark," he said.

The Union government, through a bill in Parliament, revoked Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution which gave special status and special. privileges to the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir-on August 5, 2019.

"There was a time when only sad news like bomb blasts, guns, kidnappings and separatism emerged from J&K. Such things had become the misfortune of Jammu and Kashmir. But now Jammu and Kashmir is moving forward with the determination to develop. Today itself, the foundation stone of projects worth over 32,000 crores has been laid and some have been inaugurated. These are projects related to education, skills, employment, health, industry connectivity," he said.