JAMMU/SRINAGAR – India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that his government in New Delhi and the state administration will work closely for taking the state to new heights of development.
On the occasion, he invoked the vision of ‘Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriat’ introduced by former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the way out to resolve problems in the divided state. Modi came out in praise of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and hoped that the formation of new government led by young and energetic leadership would usher in a new era of development across the state.
Noting that people of Jammu Kashmir had enormous faith in Vajpayee, he said very few leaders commanded such respect. “He (Vajpayee) used to say ‘Insaniyat (humanity), Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriat (democracy)’ are key to progress of Jammu Kashmir.’ We have to take the state to new heights through these pillars,” he said at the inauguration of Shri Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital.
“We have filled the colours of “sab ka saath, sab ka vikas” in his dreams of ‘Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriat’,” he said as he recalled that former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed always thought about bridging the gulf between Kashmir and Jammu.
Praising the chief minister, he said, “Mehbooba ji does not talk about weather, but she always talks about the bridge, road and development. When leadership has such dedication towards development, then development becomes imminent.” He said that the Indian and the state governments were working together for the infrastructure development in Jammu Kashmir.
“Government of India with full force will move forward shoulder to shoulder and step by step with state government for changing the destiny of Jammu Kashmir and fulfill the aspirations of people of the state,” Modi said. Paying tributes to the late Sayeed who headed PDP-BJP coalition government for 10 months before his sudden demise on January 7, Modi said, “He (Sayeed) had in his mind to make Jammu Kashmir a place which would be a role model for the entire country.”
– India Army chief visits Kupwara district –
On the other hand, India’s army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag visited Kupwara district in the Indian-held Jammu Kashmir where five people were killed last week in clashes with the armed forces. He reviewed the overall security situation in the valley, said Colonel NN Joshi, India’s defence spokesman.
The army chief was accompanied by the Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda. The chief also visited the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps. “The army chief was briefed by Corps Commander Lieutenant General Satish Dua on the overall security situation and the preparedness of Chinar Corps in dealing with the emerging challenges,” Joshi said.
The spokesman said that the general was also briefed about the incidents in Handwara town in north Kashmir, where violent protests broke out in the past few days. “General Dalbir Singh was briefed about the situation along the Line of Control (LoC). In his interaction with the officers and troops, the army chief expressed satisfaction at the operational preparedness of the units deployed along the LoC and hinterland.”
