PM Modi rips into Congress: 'Pakistan defence minister has supported your view on Art 370'

PM Modi in Jammu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif for his comment on Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said no power on earth can bring back the special status in the state.

Asif had said in an interview with Geo News that Pakistan government and the Congress-National Conference alliance in J&K were on the same page on the issue of restoration of Article 370.

Addressing a public rally in Katra, Modi criticized Congress, NCP and PDP over Asif's remark: "Every vote given to Congress will implement the manifesto of PDP and NC. They want to bring back Article 370. This means they want bloodshed in the valley again."

"Congress-NC alliance is being applauded in Pakistan. Pakistan is very happy with the Congress-NC manifesto and has openly extended its support. Pakistan's defence minister has openly come out in support of the Congress-NC alliance. He says their agenda is the same as that of Pakistan...Congress and NC want to implement Pakistan's agenda here in J&K," Modi said.

He told voters in Jammu, "BJP is the party that has prioritized your growth and ended the decade-long struggles of the people here. Kashmir is an important part of our faith and cultural identity. We need a government that can respect and promote both of these aspects."

"Congress, under the guise of ‘Mohabatt ki Dukaan’, is out there spreading hate. Congress cannot see anything beyond its votebank. For the same reasons, they deepened the rift between Jammu and Kashmir, and always maintained a partial behaviour towards the state," he said.

Pakistan minister's remark came amid the Assembly elections in J&K. This is the first election since the erstwhile state’s special status was scrapped in 2019.