Katra: In a fiery election rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took sharp aim at the Congress and the National Conference (NC) for their alignment with Pakistan’s views on Article 370 and 35A. Addressing a gathering in Katra, Modi fiercely criticised the alliance, claiming that their stance has found enthusiastic support from Pakistan’s government, and specifically from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s apparent admiration for the Congress-NC agenda. “There may not be enthusiasm in Jammu and Kashmir about the Congress-National Conference, but the neighbouring country (Pakistan) is very enthusiastic about it,” he remarked. “In Pakistan, the Congress-National Conference alliance is being celebrated. Pakistan is very impressed with their manifesto.”
Modi’s sharp rebuttal came in response to recent statements by Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who had advocated for the restoration of Article 370, which granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir before its abrogation in 2019. Asif had suggested that Pakistan and the Congress-NC alliance shared the same goal on this issue. “That is, Pakistan itself has exposed the Congress-National Conference pole,” Modi stated, accusing the alliance of serving Pakistan’s interests.
Continuing his attack, the Prime Minister assured the crowd that under his leadership, no external power could reverse the decision on Article 370. “No power in the world can get Article 370 back in Jammu and Kashmir. For decades, the Congress and NC did what suited the masters of terror,” he asserted.
PM Modi linked the abrogation of Article 370 with the weakening of terrorism and separatism in the region, emphasising the strides made toward lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “Ever since the wall of Article 370 has been broken here, terror and separatism are weakening. Jammu and Kashmir is moving towards permanent peace,” he added.
The rally marks yet another instance where Modi has sought to highlight national security and counter-terrorism as core themes in his campaign for Jammu and Kashmir, further distancing his government from the policies of past regimes.
PM Modi’s remarks are likely to reverberate in the ongoing political discourse, particularly as Jammu and Kashmir continues to transition under the new constitutional order post-2019.