According to Rajnath Singh, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are sovereign citizens of India and are entitled to prosperity and peace.
The people living in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are regarded as Indian citizens, but the Pakistani government refers to them as “foreigners,” according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks on Sunday.
Speaking at a BJP election rally in Jammu division’s Ramban district, Rajnath Singh mentioned the BJP-PDP coalition government, saying, “We withdrew cases against minors and those who were innocent during Mehbooba-led government.” But the PDP’s support for separatists was the issue. I would constantly advise her to control the situation on the ground, but she was unable to do so. The people of J&K are free citizens of India with a right to prosperity and peace.
On the other hand, the solicitor general of Pakistan referred to the residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as “foreigners” in a recent affidavit. We don’t refer to them as outsiders. They belong to our people. Allow them to join us here. The people of PoK will want to come and join India once a government is formed in J&K, he claimed. He chastised Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the National Conference (NC) and a former chief minister of J&K, harshly for his remarks that Afzal Guru shouldn’t have been hanged.
According to Omar Abdullah, Afzal Guru shouldn’t have been hanged. Did he want Afzal Guru to be garlanded, I would like to know? Mr. Singh asked.
The Union minister said that although this was his first visit to Ramban, the locals had welcomed him with open arms. “Hello to everyone of you. J&K is holding assembly elections after a ten-year break. The entire nation is observing the results of this election. When I was recently in America, I was asked what I thought would happen in these elections by the Indian diaspora. I told them the BJP would form the J&K government,” he asserted.
“I asked Dr Jitendra Singh about the situation on the ground when I arrived, and he informed me that the level of political climate favoring the BJP is much higher than he had anticipated. Every time 2, 6, or 10% of the vote was cast in Kashmir in the past, it made national news. In the Lok Sabha elections, 58% of voters cast ballots; in Ladakh, that number rose to 72%,” he continued.
This was the first time an election was held here free from partisanship and intimidation. We think this is a fantastic change. The people of J&K possess talent and work ethic. Rajnath Singh stated, “J&K will be the most prosperous place in India if BJP rules J&K for the next ten years.”
Since Prime Minister Modiji assumed office, our economy has expanded from ranking eleventh to the fifth largest in the world. According to media reports and independent economic surveys, India is now expected to rank third in terms of population after the United States and China in 2027.
“We will transform this place in ten years if you give the BJP a chance to form the government here. The situation on the ground has already been altered in the past ten years. We forced this procession to happen even though the Tazia (Muharram) procession was forbidden in Kashmir, the Union minister stated.
“Today, nobody has the courage to throw a stone or fire a pistol at Lal Chowk.” Nations require a prime minister with conviction, and we are lucky to have Modiji in our midst. Women in J&K were denied their rights. We’ll make sure Safaikaramcharis, Valmiki Samaj, and refugees from West Pakistan cast ballots in the Assembly elections. We made sure that OBC reservations were made in panchayats and urban bodies,” he added.
“No one protested when PM Modi revoked Article 370. The NC manifesto promises to reinstate 370. Now, nobody is able to restore 370. The Kashmir Valley hosted a G-20 summit for the first time. We refer to this as governance. Formerly known as a hotspot for terrorism, Kashmir is now known as a tourist destination, he claimed.
He mentioned several developments in the past ten years, including the railway link, the Muharram procession, the ₹ 38,000 core worth of developmental works, the four-hour travel time from Jammu to Srinagar instead of the fourteen, and the 40,000 recruitments in the previous five years.
Not even one incidence of stone throwing since 2022. Rave tablets and laptops were in the hands of those young people brandishing pistols. We revoked 370; if Congress is courageous enough, allow them to reclaim it. “No power on earth can bring back 370 as long as the BJP is in power,” he declared.
He also mentioned the September 4, 2016, meeting between a Parliamentary delegation and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the hardline separatist leader. As a member of the parliamentary delegation, I informed the members that although the Hurriyat is allergic to the BJP, they are free to go meet the Hurriyat. The Hurriyat people shut their door on them when they went to their door, Rajnath remembered.
He mentioned the promises contained in the manifesto. He announced that the unfinished border fencing will be finished, that families from the weaker sections would receive two free gas cylinders, that students attending higher secondary schools in remote areas would receive free tablets and laptops, that Jammu would have a riverfront on the Tawi, and that Ramban and Banihal would have tourist destinations. Metro services will be provided to Jammu and Srinagar, and migrant Kashmiri Pandits will be returned to the Kashmir Valley in a dignified and safe manner. Ultimately, he urged voters to choose Rakesh Gupta, the BJP candidate, with a sizable majority.
Three phases of voting will occur in J&K on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting will occur on October 8.
