Two families have deal to take turns at looting J&K: Modi takes on NC, PDP

The party may need an ally if it does well in the elections, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit out at the existing parties in the state of Jammu and Kashmir saying that two family-based parties had conspired to take turns at looting the state. [caption id=“attachment_1816529” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PM Narendra Modi alleged that NC and PDP were looting Jammu and Kashmir. PTI[/caption] “There is five-year contract for looting Kashmir between the two families who rule here,” Modi said during an election rally in Kishtwar just days ahead of the state polls. The first phase of Jammu and Kashmir polls will start on 25 November. Modi said that through this ’looting contract’, when one family stopped ruling Kashmir, the other took over and resumed looting until the previous family came back to power and the cycle repeated. “Will only two families rule over Kashmir?” asked Modi, adding, “We want a goverment free from corruption in Kashmir.” “If you don’t punish the two families ruling here, they will come back with renewed resurgence,” he said, adding that people should instead vote for BJP if they want development. Modi even alleged that the ruling Omar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir used the floods which took place earlier this year to loot the state. “For the Kashmir government, the floods were an opportunity to loot the region,” said the Prime Minister. While he didn’t name the parties he was talking about, the Prime Minister is believed to have been referring to the National Conference that that is presently in power and the People’s Democratic Party. However, the veiled attack by the Prime Minister was rebuffed by both parties. While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the NC government had come to power thanks to their ability to address people’s concerns; the PDP, which could be a potential ally for the BJP post the elections, said they weren’t a party run by a family. Modi also took a dig at the Abdullah family as he praised the installation of a pipeline in Gujarat to provide water to the people. “The pipeline which we installed for water in Gujarat is big enough for the entire Abdullah family to drive their car inside it,” he said. Modi urged the people of Kashmir to vote BJP back to power. “The Centre and the entire country is willing to support you,” he said. The Prime Minister spoke about how he was attached to Jammu and Kashmir. “Kashmir is very dear to me. I come to carry on the work started by Vajpayee,” he said, adding “Whenever I have come to Kashmir, I have talked about development.” The PM also talked about how he had talked about development related issues instead of threats from Pakistan in the Kutch region. “Kutch district is now the fastest developing district in India. If Kutch can be developed, even Kashmir can be developed,” he said. Talking about tourism and film production in Kashmir, Modi said, “Our film industry used to be crazy about Kashmir. Now they go abroad for shooting. I want to bring them back.” “Tourism has kept on declining in Kashmir. I want to again call the entire world to Kashmir,” he said. Modi also stressed on his ’s_abka saath, sabka vikaas’_ policy. “When I went to the US, even Americans were saying ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikaas’. Vikaas is my mantra,” he said. The Prime Minister also claimed that he would solve the problems faced by refugees that they had faced for the last 50 years.