Jammu, Sep 8 (UNI) Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Jammu and Kashmir will be made the most developed State of the country and such an atmosphere will be created here so that people of PoJK vociferously say that they want to join India.
“We are committed to the development of J&K and will make such a Kashmir that even people from Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) will say that they want to be part of India,” Rajnath Singh said while addressing a public rally at Ramban.
Singh campaigned for the BJP candidates and asked the people to vote for BJP.
Rajnath said, “People of PoJK are our own people”.
He said that J&K has started moving fast on the path of development after abrogation of Article 370 and peace has been established here. “We abrogated Article 370 openly and boldly and no one can bring it back,” Singh said, while adding, “BJP will never allow anyone to bring back Article 370 come what may”.
Rajnath said National Conference and Congress are now talking about bringing back Article 370, “but I must tell you that BJP will never let this happen”.
He appealed to the people to elect a BJP government and promised to make Jammu and Kashmir the most developed state in the country.
Rajnath said the people of PoJK are our own but Pakistan considers them foreigners.
Rajnath Singh said the entire world is keeping an eye on the Assembly elections of J&K.
“During my recent visit to the United States, the delegations there inquired about the J&K Assembly elections, and I told them that the BJP will form its government in J&K with a full majority,” Rajnath said.
Singh said not only the whole of India but the entire world is also closely watching these elections.
He said before the abrogation of Article 370, voter turnout in J&K used to be between 6 percent and 12 percent, but after its abrogation, the turnout in the 2024 Parliamentary elections was 58 percent, while in Ladakh, it reached 72 percent.
This, Singh said, is testimony as to how much the situation has improved after the abrogation of Article 370.
He said that for the first time, the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh witnessed transparent and fear-free elections.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are talented enough and have the potential to achieve anything.
He stated that for the first time, the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh witnessed elections free from fear, and they saw impartial and transparent polls for the first time. He called this a significant sign of change.
He said that under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, every section of society has received justice.
He also said that daughters were not safe here, marginalized people could not vote, the refugees from West Pakistan and the Valmiki community were not given the right to vote.
“Under Modi’s leadership, these people were granted their rights, and the Pahari community was given Scheduled Tribe status, along with political reservation for Gujjar-Bakarwals and Paharis,” Rajnath said.