Art 370 was root cause of terrorism in J&K: Yogi

KATHUA Ahead of the first phase polling for the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency on April 19, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday, invoked Ram Temple, revocation of Article 370, overall development, welfare schemes for the poor and a “scared and beleaguered” Pakistan to woo voters.
On his maiden visit to J&K after the consecration of Lord Ram’s idol at Ayodhya temple, the UP CM appealed for a clear mandate from the people for incumbent MP and union minister Jitendra Singh, who is seeking a third consecutive term since 2014, at an election rally here.
As per 2011 census, the constituency has 58.15% Hindu population and Muslims comprise 40.68%. It has over 16.23 lakh electorates.
“On the second day of Navratri, I bow my head before this land of our gods, deities, saints and martyrs where Shyama Prasad Mukherjee made the supreme sacrifice (for one nation, one flag and one constitution). For 70 years, no government could take a decision on revocation of Article 370. I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, who wiped out the root cause of terrorism and ended Article 370,” he said.
He claimed that be it Srinagar’s Lal Chowk or Delhi’s Lal Qila, there has been enthusiasm among the people of Kashmir post revocation of Article 370, which had been an impediment in the region’s development and inclusion in the national mainstream.
“While Article 370, the root cause of terrorism, is done and dusted and naxalism has also been cured, India is on the path to progress. All round development in the form of highways, railways, roads, rapid rail, metro, IITs, IIMs, medical colleges, AIIMS, tunnels and modern infrastructure happens when there is a strong government in place,” he said.
He, however, blamed the Congress for India’s partition.
“India got freedom in 1947, but the Congress’ greed for power caused the nation’s partition. For us, the nation comes first. Its sovereignty and integrity are supreme for us,” he said.
He also accused the Congress of constantly neglecting Jammu and Kashmir.
“J&K was orphaned by the previous regimes. It was left at the mercy of God. Congress’ behaviour with the nation is no surprise because it considered the nation as its personal fiefdom. Whenever there was a crisis, they left it in the lurch and fled,” he said while drawing parallels between Congress rule and BJP’s performance in the past 10 years.
Attributing peace on Indo-Pak borders to the BJP government’s strong approach, he said: “Today, borders are secure. No intruder from Pakistan can intrude and cause problem. Today, even if a cracker is burst, Pakistan quickly comes up with clarification that it is not involved. They now know that if there’s something, then it may cost them dearly. And, all this happens when there is a strong government at the centre.”
“Pakistan, which became an independent nation in 1947 with India, can be seen with a begging bowl at various world forums. India has marched ahead and is on the path to progress. PM Modi, who made India the fifth-largest economy pushing UK behind, now wants to make India the third-largest economy,” he said.
The UP CM also claimed that ever since BJP stormed to power in 2014 and re-elected in 2019, there has been resurgence of Hinduism.
“See the change in India today. Earlier, people were hesitant calling themselves Hindus and scared to take the name of Ayodhya. When I became CM in 2017 and went to Ayodhya, people asked me what I was doing. They told me that my visit would annoy some people. I told them that should I compromise my religion and that it was not possible for me,” he said.
“When a good government comes to power, then long wait of 500 years also comes to an end. Today, Ram Temple has been constructed. Would Congress have ever constructed it,” he asked.
He also lashed out at the Congress for “denying the existence of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.”
“These accidental Hindus raised questions on Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. There can be no bigger insinuation with religious sentiments. They tried to insult our deities by raising questions on the existence of Lord Ram and Krishna,” he said.
Seeking votes from the people for a clear mandate to the BJP for the third consecutive term, he cited developmental projects, welfare schemes for the poor, Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India becoming a big power, safe and secure environment in the country under BJP rule.
Adityanath also recalled how law and order in UP was thrown to the winds in the past.
“Every second day, there were riots and curfews imposed for months together. But in the past seven years, not a single riot has taken place and nowhere curfew was imposed. On the contrary, Kanwar Yatra of Lord Shiva takes place with pomp and show,” he said. He also referred to UP being the first state in the country that banned loudspeakers at religious places.