Kashmir's Identity Died on January 19, 1990. Where Was the Congress Then: Modi in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the opposition on Thursday for questioning his government’s moves on the new citizenship law and detention of Kashmiri leaders since the scrapping of J&K’s special status.

Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Lok Sabha, Modi slammed former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for their remarks on abrogation of Article 370. The PM said Kashmir's identity was buried on January 19, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving the Valley due to militancy.

"Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony," he said.

Elaborating on his government's achievements, the prime minister said the people of the country have seen his government's work between 2014 and 2019 and gave a bigger mandate in 2019.

"The people of India saw our work for five years. They once again blessed us, so that we work even faster," he said.

Modi said India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved. "That is why, our aim is speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solutions".

"The people of India have not only changed the Sarkar (government). They want the 'Sarokar' (conduct) to be changed as well. If we had worked according to the old ways and thought processes: Article 370 would never have been history. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq," he said.

The prime minister said if his government worked as per the old ways, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved, Kartarpur Sahib corridor would not be a reality and there would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "I heard an opposition MP saying ‘we will beat Modi with sticks in 6 months’. I have also decided I will do more 'Surya Namaskar'. This will make my back even stronger to face abuses. In any case, I have been abused so much for the last two decades that their negativity hardly matters.”