The BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Sunday said his party would carry forward the initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir on the principles of "Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat" as envisioned by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally of over 50,000 people at the M.A. Stadium in Jammu, Modi said: "We will carry forward the BJP's policy of 'insaniyat' (humanity), 'jamhuriyat' (democracy) and 'Kashmiriyat' (composite secular, eclectic Kashmiri culture) as envisioned by our great leader Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji towards Jammu and Kashmir."
Modi, virtually launching the BJP's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, said the troubles the people in the state were facing were due to wrong policies and priorities of the Congress.
"The policies of Syama Prasad Mookerjee (BJP ideologue who died in a jail in the state in 1953) towards Jammu and Kashmir were right and the policies and plans of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru were wrong," Modi said.
"If Syama Prasad Mookerjee had not agitated against Nehru's policies, we would still need a permit to enter the state," Modi said.
Modi questioned the Congress' claims of people-friendly programmes like amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act and Food Security Bill, and asked people how many of central policies and laws were benefiting them.
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He also criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and said how could the National Conference claim to be protecting the rights of women when in their personal relationships the leaders of the party had failed to do so.
"Whether Article 370 has done anything good or bad should be discussed, but has Omar Abdullah's sister got the same right as him?" he said.
Abdullah's sister Sara Pilot is the wife of Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Sachin Pilot.
Modi praised the erstwhile Dogra maharaja of the state, Hari Singh, saying he had brought in a lot of social reforms by upholding the rights of the less privileged sections of the society.
The BJP leader compared the development in Jammu and Kashmir with that in Gujarat.
He said that despite huge natural resources, the state government has always been approaching the centre with a begging bowl.
"Corruption is rampant in Jammu and Kashmir. Should laws to prevent corruption be there in the state or not? The centre makes rules but these are not applicable in the state because of Article 370," Modi said.
Article 370 of the constitution grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP has always advocated for scrapping the article.
Modi quoted from the Ramayana, saying it were the Himalayas from where Hanuman had obtained the mythical herb while the government in Jammu and Kashmir was unable to exploit the tremendous herbal potential of the Himalayas in the state.
He also criticised the "soft attitude" of the union government towards border violations by Pakistan and incursions by China.
The M.A. Stadium with a capacity of over 40,000 was jam-packed during Modi's speech, and a large number of people also gathered on the roads around the stadium to listen to him.
This was Modi's first public rally in Jammu and Kashmir after he was declared the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.