'Abdullahs and Muftis ruined Jammu and Kashmir, won't allow them to divide India': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed the Abdullahs and Muftis, saying the two families “ruined” three generations of Jammu and Kashmir and he will not allow them to "divide" India.

PM Modi said the people of J&K cannot be kept hostage or bounded labourers to some "handful of people".

The prime minister was referring to National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's demand for a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir and Mehbooba Mufti's remark that abrogation of article 370 can lead J&K free from India.

Addressing a rally in Kathua, he said: “The Abdullah and Mufti families have "ruined" three generations in the state. They laid seize to the state for three generations. For the better future of the state, they need to be voted out.”

The bright future of Jammu and Kashmir can be ensured only after their departure. They can bring their entire clan into the field, can abuse Modi as much as they want but they won't be able to divide this nation, the prime minister said.

Campaigning for Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, who is seeking re-election from Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, the prime minister said people in Jammu and Kashmir voted in large numbers in the first phase of polls and "rattled" terrorist leaders, opportunists and demoralised the "mahamilavat" alliance.

Modi said, "You have proven the strength of democracy in India, in the first phase of elections".

Lashing out at the Congress, the prime minister said, "Congress had been infected with germs. The grand old party's manifesto promise that AFSPA will be removed from the state if they come to power to demoralise the security forces".

"Can a patriot speak like this? Shouldn't our security forces have a safety net," he asked people at the rally.

"Days have gone when threats used to cow down the government of India. This is new India, which will enter (into Pakistan) to kill terrorists and expose their supporters too. You are not choosing just a MP, but it is your veto on new strategy and new policy of this nation," the PM said.

Terming Congress, the NC and PDP a "highly impure coalition", Modi said that day in and day out they (NC and PDP) are threatening to sever J&K from India. "They threaten of blood shed... Of a separate Prime Minister."

Taking a dig at them, he said that Pakistan was also threatening us with nuclear (power)? "Has steam of that nuclear threat fizzled out?", he poses question to people. People responded with yes.

Modi further said they (NC and PDP) "are also threatening us with do pradhan (two PMs, one each in J&K and India). I want to make them clear once for all. They have not got Jammu and Kashmir as inheritance in writing. J&K is integral part of India".

He referred to later Dr B R Ambedkar's speech in Punjab in which he had said that "(political) dynasty" is enemy of democracy and called for voting against the dynastic politics.

Modi said that every child in Jammu and Kashmir, Leh and Ladakh is Indian.

"The citizens of this state cannot be kept hostage or bounded labourers to some handful of people.

"It is on this soil Shyama Prasad Mukherjee unfurled the tricolour and had then rejected the ideology of 'two constitutions, two PMs and two flags' and his ideals is 'sacred paper' to BJP. Nobody can erase it", the PM said.

Modi said that this Chowkidaar is committed to it and will stand firm on it.

"Modi will stand like a wall before the dynastic families of J&K supported by Congress. They are like occupants of this land for the past three generations. But Modi neither fears nor can be threaten by any one", he said.

Modi also accused the Congress of politicising the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary.

"The Vice President was in Jallianwala Bagh for the government event. He paid tribute to martyrs but Congress CM was not there", he said, charging that nationalism was an insult for the opposition.

The Punjab chief minister, he said, insulted the Jallianwala Bagh memorial by not attending the government's memorial on the day of the centenary.

Modi said he can understand the kind of pressure on Amarinder Singh.

"I have known Capt Amaridner Singh for a long time. I have never raised a question on his patriotism. I can understand the kind of pressure which must have been put on him for this kind of 'Parivar bhakti", Modi said.

Referring to doubts raised by the Congress on the 2016 surgical strikes and IAF strikes in Balakot, he charged that Congress has never trusted the Indian armed forces.

"For the Congress, the Army is only a way of earning money," Modi charged.

Hitting out at the Congress for migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, Modi said the BJP is committed to bring the community back to their land.

"The policies of Congress were responsible for Kashmiri Pandits leaving their homes in valley", he said.

"The Congress was so concerned about their vote bank, that they pretended not to see atrocities against my Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters," he added.

The prime minister also referred to the 1984 Sikh riots and said the Congress was betraying the people by promising "nyay".