Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his dream of restoring the beauty and tranquillity of Jammu and Kashmir and reviving it as a tourist destination, saying that he could not rest in peace until his mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' touched the state as well.
"If any corner of India is not united and remains bereft of development, then my dream of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' remains incomplete. I want to bring back those days when every Indian could not wait to visit Kashmir. There was a time when every family would save money for a vacation here. I want that atmosphere back in Jammu and Kashmir, " the Prime Minister said addressing a rally here.
He asserted that he wanted to revive the interest of every Indian back in Jammu and Kashmir so that they could experience the love and hospitality the people of state had to offer and witness the beauty of nature here.
Talking about his visit during the flood last year, Prime Minister Modi said that he had felt the pain of the state at the time.
"Kashmir manages to drag me back every time and I have always felt the love of Kashmiri's. When I was in Delhi during the floods here, I felt your pain and it brought me here even though it was Diwali. My mother, who had never given me more than Rs.11, gave me Rs.5000 as contribution to help those affected by the floods," he said.
Meanwhile, the state has been turned into a fortress amid tight security for the Prime Minister's visit as large numbers of security forces have been deployed in the sensitive areas to maintain calm and to ensure no untoward elements affect his visit.
Restrictions have been imposed in the downtown area as well as around the venue were the Prime Minister is addressing his rally.
