Asserting that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved after the abrogation of Article 370, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said no one now dares to do any mischief when the Krishna Janmashtami procession passes through Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.
Speaking at Kalol in Gandhinagar district, the Home Minister said it was former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who implemented Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Under Article 370, a special status was given to the region.
“By abrogating Article 370 in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clear message to the world that for Indians, there is nothing bigger than the self-respect of India and its honour,” said Shah, on a three-day Gujarat visit from January 14.
He was addressing a gathering in Kalol town after inaugurating and laying foundation stones of various projects worth Rs 194 crore.
“There was a time when Army’s support was necessary to hoist the tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. But today, no one dares to do any mischief when Krishna Janmashtami procession passes through the Lal Chowk,” the home minister said.
Nearly 2.80 crore tourists, mostly from Gujarat, have visited Kashmir and returned safely without facing any issues, he said, adding that this transformation was the result of PM Modi’s hardworking, sensitive and alert leadership.
“Under the PM’s leadership, India became the fifth largest economy in the world, and it is certain we will reach the third spot in 2027. And, we are working towards making India the number one country by 2047 and God will definitely help us in our endeavour,” said Shah.
He inaugurated 19 projects and laid foundation stone for eight projects, including one for converting the existing road connecting Sanand town with Kalol into a six-lane highway.
“There was a time during the Congress rule when village sarpanchs had to struggle to get a small grant of Rs 5,000 from the government. Today, under the BJP rule, works worth crores of rupees are carried out without causing any hardship to sarpanchs,” he added.
He thanked the people of the region for making the BJP victorious in all seven assembly segments, including Sanand and Kalol, which are part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
People of the country chose the BJP because of Modi’s commitment to fulfilling promises, such as the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said.
“No one believed that a Ram temple would be built in Ayodhya. But today, Ram Lalla is sitting in that grand temple. It is PM Modi who has uprooted Naxalism and terrorism from the country,” said Shah.