Politics should not be linked to communalism: Prime Minister

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched his election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, addressing an election rally in Kishtwar . He asserted that politics should not be linked to communalism, and a Kashmiri is a Kashmiri, irrespective of religion.

Stating that he had come to the state every month, beginning July, he said he had a close bond with the state. He said he wanted to complete the work initiated by former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Prime Minister recalled that whenever he went to Kutch in Gujarat, he did not speak of Pakistan, but spoke of development and solving the problems of Kutch. He said Kutch had the maximum Muslim population, had severe shortage of drinking water, and lack of employment opportunities. But today, Kutch district has become the fastest developing district of India. It develops 8000 MW of power, and is a centre of steel power production and textile manufacturing.

He praised the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their honesty. He asked people who was responsible for harming the interests of the state. Will only two familes rule the state, he asked. Do the people and youth of the state not have the capability to run this state, he added. He said both these families had a pact to loot the state in successive turns. He said the time had come to change this.

He said he had come to Jammu and Kashmir to reassure people that there would never be any shortage of funds for the state. He said the state needed a corruption-free government, that could work for the welfare of the people.

The Prime Minister recalled that he met some children from villages in Poonch-Rajouri districts recently at his home in Delhi. He said he had been impressed with the spirit of the children of Jammu and Kashmir, who had great hopes and aspirations. "Jo beet gayee so beet gayee. Ab nayee peedhi ka bhavishya banaana hai," the Prime Minister said. He said politics should not be linked to communalism. A Kashmiri is a Kashmiri, the Prime Minister asserted, saying the BJP stood for "Sabka saath. Sabka Vikas."