 "Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy")
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy urged the people of J&K to vote for the BJP to sustain the development momentum. (File Photo)
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in September, according to Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
Addressing the ‘Ekatma Mahotsav’ rally at Bana Singh Stadium in Jammu on Monday (August 5), Reddy urged the people of J&K to vote for the BJP to sustain the development momentum and eradicate terrorism.
Reddy, the BJP’s election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, said, “The Assembly elections will be held in September, and we are confident that the people will vote for the BJP with a full majority given the positive changes brought by the revocation of Article 370.”
Terming the abrogation of Article 370 as a ‘proud moment’ for the country and the people of J&K, Reddy said, “People must choose between a government that talks about Article 370 or a BJP-led government committed to taking J&K to new heights of development, peace, and prosperity.”
Regarding recent terror activities in the Jammu region, he said, “We want to warn Pakistan that we will not allow terrorism to grow in J&K despite its continuous efforts. We will completely eradicate terrorism and protect our people…we are ready to die for the country.”
He added, “After a long struggle, the people of J&K have finally been freed from Article 370, leading to rights for women and other deprived sections of society. A new J&K has emerged where terrorism, stone-pelting, hoisting of Pakistani flags, and an insult to the Tricolour are history.”
Abrogation of Article 370 watershed moment: PM
Earlier, on Monday (August 5), on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the reading down of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the step as a “watershed moment in the nation’s history” that started “a new era of progress” in the Union Territory.
“I assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh that our government will keep working for them and fulfil their aspirations in the coming times,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.
The Prime Minister’s assurance comes when the Election Commission is preparing to hold the Assembly elections in J&K by the end of September so that the people here have an elected government of their own.
Meanwhile, a group of concerned citizens in Jammu and Kashmir – The Forum for Human Rights – has called for an immediate announcement of dates of Legislative Assembly elections in J&K much before the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30, arguing that “that security should not be a consideration given that elections have been held in far worse security situations”.
J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support to the coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti following which the state was brought under Governor’s Rule.
First Published: Aug 06 2024 | 5:12 PM IST
