People of J&K will choose who will govern them: Modi

Days after his government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of special status granted under Article 370 and 35A to it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reached out to people there assuring that they will have full right to choose their representatives to govern them even in the future.

In a much-speculated televised Address to the Nation, Modi said that those provisions did not bring any benefit to people of Jammu and Kashmir and rather damaged them by encouraging terrorism, separatism and dynasty politics in the state.

Article 370 abrogated from Jammu and Kashmir | live updates

"These two sections were being used as a weapon by Pakistan to provoke the sentiments of some people against the country and due to it 42 thousand innocent persons had to lose their lives," said the Prime Minister.

He said the measures taken by his government are aimed at welfare of people and will provide a better life to youths in the troubled region with stepped-up investments, creation of more job opportunities, tourism boost and ensuring that benefits of the central government laws available to other states to Jammu and Kashmir as well, which were hitherto not happening. He also appealed to industrialists to come forward to make investments in the region.

Greeting the people for the upcoming Eid festival, he also indicated that the government may provide some relaxations so that people living in the Muslim dominated state have no inconvenience in celebrating the festival. He said his government is providing support to those citizens of Jammu and Kashmir living outside, who want to go back to their homes.

Modi assured that the situation will gradually normalize there and exhorted them to make a “new Jammu-Kashmir and a new Ladakh” along with a “new India”.

“Your representative will be chosen by you. They will come from among you. As there used to be MLAs, Council of Ministers in past, they will be in future also in the same manner. As was the practice of you having your Chief Minister earlier, the same will happen in future as well.

“I assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir that you will get a chance to elect your representatives with full honesty and in an atmosphere of total transparency,” Modi said hinting at holding of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir soon.

Making it clear that “freedom from 370 is a reality”, the Prime Minister noted the difficulties being faced by the people of the region after the move as “a handful of people want to spoil the atmosphere there” and greeted people from the region, many of them Muslim, who were given the highest honours in past for foiling the attempts of Pakistan and terrorists in past.

The Prime Minister indicated that a new leadership will emerge in the new Kashmir as “dynasty politics going for decades disallowed any opportunity to youths of Jammu and Kashmir to provide leadership. Now my young leaders of Jammu and Kashmir will provide leadership and take Jammu and Kashmir to a new height.”

He urged all to come together in the national interest keeping aside who supported the government on the measures or not who voted for or against it in Parliament.