Decision to transform J&K into UT ‘temporary’: Modi

Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the decision to transform Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory is “temporary” and the BJP-led government will restore the statehood to the region.Launching a scathing attack on the opposition Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he accused them of ‘inflicting wounds' on the people by depriving them of their rights.The prime minister said it is the BJP, which has ended discrimination and is providing balm on the wounds of the victims of the three families.Addressing a massive election rally at M A M Stadium in the heart of Jammu a day before the conclusion of campaigning for the final phase of the assembly polls on October 1, Modi said the decision to transform Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory is temporary.“BJP is the only party which will restore statehood to the region,” he reiterated. Escalating his attack, the prime minister said the “Congress, NC and PDP are annoyed by the changes in Jammu and Kashmir because they do not like your development"."They are saying they will form the government to revive the old system – the same discriminatory approach which led Jammu to be the biggest sufferer,” he added.Modi said the Jammu region in particular faced "decades of injustice" at the hands of the three parties which not only defamed the Dogra legacy but also their rulers.“The most corrupt Congress family is accusing the Dogra rulers to be corrupt," he said, adding it was the BJP which ended the “historic discrimination” and provided justice to the region during the last 10 years.Referring to the setting up of various education and health institutions, including the IITs and AIIMS and infrastructure projects like tunnels, the prime minister said the Congress, NC and PDP inflicted “wounds on the people” by depriving them of their rights but the BJP reached them, irrespective of their religion, and rubbed balm on their wounds by giving them voting rights, reservations and empowering women.“In coming times, Jammu's development will be further boosted. I want to tell the business community that the coming times will be full of opportunities for them,” he said, adding “our efforts are on to bring more investment to Jammu and set up industry to provide jobs to the local youth in their own districts”.The prime minister said that earlier people close to the Congress, NC and PDP were the only persons who were getting jobs but “now every youth of Jammu and Kashmir will get his right and honour under the BJP's rule”. pti