Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed satisfaction over the meeting with Jammu and Kashmir leaders and said that the meeting is an ‘important step in the ongoing efforts towards a developed and progressive J&K, where all-round growth is furthered’. He also underlined the need for delimitation and elections to ensure that J&K gets an elected government
“Our priority is to strengthen grassroots democracy in J&K. Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
In another tweet, he said that ‘our democracy’s biggest strength is the ability to sit across a table and exchange views’. “I told the leaders of J&K that it is the people, especially the youth who have to provide political leadership to J&K and ensure their aspirations are duly fulfilled,” he said.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government is committed to ensuring all-round development of Jammu and Kashmir and added that elections are an important milestone in ‘restoring statehood as promised in the Parliament’.
“We are committed to ensure all-round development of J&K. The future of Jammu and Kashmir was discussed and the delimitation exercise and peaceful elections are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in parliament,” Shah said in a tweet after the meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Jammu and Kashmir leaders.
“Today’s meeting on Jammu and Kashmir was conducted in a very cordial environment. Everyone expressed their commitment to democracy and the constitution. It was stressed to strengthen the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah further said.
In the meeting that lasted for over three hours, J&K leaders demanded that the statehood of the UT should be restored and elections should be held in the state. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti demanded that the decision to abrogate Article 370 should be reversed and the special status of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored.
“Restoration of full statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be the first trust-building exercise from New Delhi side,” Former CM Farooq Abdullah said.
