PM Narendra Modi dares Opposition to restore Article 370, 35A in Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday challenged the Opposition parties in the country to bring back Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister said the government is constantly endeavouring to ensure the return to full normalcy in Jammu & Kashmir and it would take another four months or so to achieve that.

PM Modi also dared his opponents that if they had the courage to oppose the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, they should announce it in their election manifestos for the upcoming election and in all future elections that they would revert to Article 370 and the government's historic decision, taken on August 5, this year. 

"For the holy land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I am challenging the opposition to come out with a clear stand on Article 370. If you have courage, then announce it in your election manifesto to bring back Article 370," PM Modi said while addressing his first election rally in Jalgaon today. 

The Prime Minister alleged that opposition is shedding crocodile tears every day on the abrogation of Article 370. "Can these leaders, who are trying to fool the people with their crocodile tears, bring back Article 370 in Kashmir? Do you have the strength to announce to bring back the special status to Jammu and Kashmir in your election manifesto? Will people of this country allow it?," he said today. 

Modi said that the government took the decision on scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, which was unthinkable till then.  "There was a situation in which scope for development of vulnerable sections in Jammu and Kashmir was negligible. On Valmiki Jayanti, I'm fortunate that I can embrace Valmiki brothers from Jammu and Kashmir," he said. 

"There was a situation where there was an expansion of only terrorism, separatism and plot against ideas of unity and integrity. For us, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are not only a piece of land, they are the crown of India. Every bit of that region enriches thinking and strength of India," he said, in the rally. 

He also targeted the opposition parties for criticising the Centre's decision to repeal Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. 

Today, unfortunately, some political parties and some politicians in our country are politicizing this decision taken in the national interest. One should listen to the statements given by the Congress-NCP leaders pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. They think just the opposite of what the entire country thinks of Jammu and Kashmir. Their thinking is the same as the neighboring country," Modi said.