PM Breaks Silence, Says "A Handful of Misguided" Elements Are Hurting Kashmir

NEW DELHI: “India loves Kashmir. Only a handful of people have been misled and are hurting the great land of Kashmir” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, breaking the ominous New Delhi silence after a month of violence in the Valley. Over 50 persons were killed and several hundred injured, with over a 100 blinded.

"When (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was PM, he had adopted Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamooriyat. We are his followers. I want to tell people of Kashmir that the Azadi (freedom) that India feels, even Kashmir can have," PM Modi said at a rally to mark the 70 Saal-Yaad Karo Qurbani', programme from Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh. He went on to " invite young people of Kashmir to make Kashmir the swarga (paradise) that it is."

Some quotes from PM Modi’s speech on Kashmir:

“Entire India loves Kashmir, but a handful of misguided people, are hurting the great ethos of the Valley.

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had adopted the path of insaniyat, Kashmiryat, Jamhooriyat and that is the same path we are walking on today.

I want to tell my Kashmiri brothers and sisters from Chandrashekhar Azad’s land that the strength given to India, the same strength has been given to Kashmir; the azadi that every Indian experiences, the same azadi is for every Kashmiri.

We want to take Kashmir to new heights of development, we want to give new strength to every panchayat in Kashmir, we want to create employment for the youth in Kashmir;

I congratulate the state government that despite some persons mal-intent Amarnath Yatra is proceeding…

I specially ask the youth, come my friends come, let us together make Kashmir a swarg Sometimes it hurts.hands that should be carrying a laptop, volley ball, cricket bat, books, dreams in their minds, such innocent youth are being given stones instead. Some peoples politics may go on but what will happen to my poor, innocent young people.

We will not allow insaniyat, kashmiriyat to be hurt. There is the path of democracy, of dialogue…

Also want to tell those young boys who have used terrorism as the way of life, how many have been killed, how much blood has been shed, come, put down the gun..
Be it Mehbooba Mufti’s government in Kashmir, or ours in Delhi, we are looking for development. But there are those who do not like development, and are trying to create chaos. I thank the opposition parties, particularly the Congress party that all have handled the Kashmir issue with maturity, in the spirit of patriotism. Even today all Opposition parties are speaking in the same voice in Kashmir, this is India’s strength…
Kashmir wants peace.

India is standing with you for development, we want your well being, want your development

Tiranga yatra will be taken out across the country, this national flag unites us all. “

Opposition leaders have slated a discussion on Kashmir tomorrow in the Rajya Sabha and pressure on PM Modi to break his silence, and take remedial measures has been increasing in New Delhi over the past several days. All Opposition parties united to raise the issue, even as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti met the top leaders. Significantly, in keeping with the new approach of the BJP that it no longer wants a Congress-mukt India, the Prime Minister congratulated the Congress party for its ‘maturity’ on the issue.