Modi declares Article 370 'buried' and reiterates 'ek hai toh safe hai' slogan

Pune, Nov 12 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress for speaking the “language of Pakistan” by seeking restoration of Article 370, which gave a special status to Jammu & Kashmir, and asserted the contentious provision has been buried deep in the ground.

Addressing an election rally in Pune, his third in Maharashtra in the day, the BJP's star campaigner reiterated his 'ek hai toh safe hai' (we are safe if we are united) slogan and accused the Congress of seeking to divide Dalits, tribals and OBCs.

Notably, during his 36-minute-long speech before a huge crowd in Pune, the home district of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Modi avoided any mention of the veteran politician and mostly targeted the Congress, a member of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

At a rally in Pune during the Lok Sabha polls, the PM had called Sharad Pawar a 'bhatakti aatma (wandering soul), comments which had reportedly upset Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, a BJP ally.

Modi, in his speech just one week ahead of polling, raked up the issue of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passing a resolution seeking restoration of special status for the erstwhile state.

"The Congress (an ally of ruling National Conference) passed a resolution in the Kashmir assembly seeking restoration of Article 370 (scrapped in 2019). Those who are showing the copy of Constitution are the one who are distributing the booklets of (blank) pages.

"I would like to ask them that when they ruled for 6 to 7 decades, why the Constitution of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was not implemented in the entire country. You must be surprised to hear this as in J&K, there was a different 'vidhan' and the Constitution was not applicable there," Modi told the gathering.

The BJP stalwart maintained the Constitution reached Jammu & Kashmir only when people gave him an opportunity to serve the country.

The Congress had created a big wall in the form of Article 370 in Kashmir because of which the Constitution could not reach the erstwhile state, he said.

"Because of your wishes and blessings, you sevak Modi buried Article 370 deep in the ground. Article 370 worked to divide the nation, it gave room to the separatist movement in the Kashmir Valley," Modi emphasised.

Modi said his government facilitated peace in the Valley and foiled the attempts of separatists to create unrest.

"The tricolour, which was once trampled upon in Lal Chowk (in Srinagar), today, the tricolour is flying high in the same chowk. During Diwali, thousands of 'diyas' were illuminated in J&K and people celebrated the festival, but the Congress and all its partners passed a resolution in the J&K Assembly to restore Article 370," he said.

In a reference to Pakistan, Modi asked the gathering who is raising the demand to restore Article 370 in J&K.

"For the last 70 years, this language was spoken only by Pakistan, but today the language which was spoken by Pakistan is now spoken by the Congress and its 'chatte-batte' (allies)," he said.

He asserted that neither the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Maharashtra) nor any other part of the country would accept the restoration of Article 370.

Modi said the Congress played the same old 'tape-recorder of lies' in Karnataka and sought votes during the 2023 elections.

"They made big promises, but when they formed a government, they raised their hands up. Instead of fulfilling pre-poll promises, the Congress is running an extortion campaign. Every other day, a scam is surfacing and it means the Congress is looting the people in Karnataka. There are allegations the looted money is being sent to Maharashtra to fund elections," he claimed.

Modi highlighted various initiatives and schemes launched by the Centre for Maharashtra and pointed out that the Union government granted Marathi the status of a classical language.

The PM said the Centre is working to preserve the legacy of Pune and told the gathering that a memorial dedicated to social reformer Savitribai Phule is being constructed at the place where she set up her first school for girls.

The work on 'Shiv Srushti', a theme park on the life and work of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is in progress in Pune, he said.

"This land is of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, but the Congress and its allies sing paeans to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. These people abuse (Hindutva ideologue) Veer Savarkar. Their mouths are sealed when it comes to praising (Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray. The people of Aghadi (MVA) should accept my challenge to ask yuvraj (Rahul Gandhi to make a speech in praise of Veer Savarkar or Balasaheb Thackeray," said Modi.

"The Congress just longs for power. For power, the Congress created divisions. For politics of appeasement, they divided the country and now the same Congress is playing the game of dividing Dalits, adivasis and OBCs.

"The Congress is pitting sub-castes of STs, SCs and OBCs against each other. By this, the Congress will first weaken them and later snatch their reservation. People must remain alert. We have to ensure that 'ek hai, toh safe hai," he said.

The elections in Maharashtra, to be held on November 20, will show a direction to the country, the BJP leader maintained.

"Recently, people gave their stamp of approval on the dream of Viksit Bharat in Haryana (where BJP won a third term) and now it is Maharashtra's turn to destroy anti-national forces," he asserted.

The PM said he has been to various areas in Maharashtra and can say with confidence the BJP-led Mahayuti front will win the assembly polls. The pace of development under the Mahayuti government has been unprecedented, he said. PTI