Srinagar: J&K touching new heights of development says Narendra Modi

Srinagar : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is “breathing freely” after the abrogation of Article 370 and pledged accelerated progress over the next five years. "Modi will not leave any stone unturned to repay this debt of affection. This is Modi sanz (Kashmiri word) guarantee," he said addressing a massive rally at Srinagar's Bakshi stadium, the first by a prime minister. Modi said the new Jammu and Kashmir has the spark for the future in its eyes and "140 crore citizens feel at peace when they see the smiling faces of the people of Jammu and Kashmir". He also criticised dynastic politics that "plagued the region”, underscoring the transformative impact of the decision to abrogate Article 370 in 2019.

"Jammu and Kashmir has been the biggest victim of dynastic politics since independence. Congress misguided the nation about Article 370 but who did it benefit? Did it benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir or a few political families?" he said. Taking a dig at opposition leaders who had commented that Modi does not have a family of his own, the prime minister said that the nation has responded to them. "Maine Jammu Kashmir ke logon ko humesha apna parivar manna hai... issliye Kashmir ke dil mein bhi yehi hai ki mein bhi Modi ka parivar hoon (I have always treated people of Jammu and Kashmir as my family... that is why Kashmir also feels in its heart that it is also Modi's family," he said while assuring that the journey on the path of development will not stop.

It was a dream-come-true moment for Kashmiri youth Nazim Nazeer as Modi not only took a selfie with him but also referred to him as a "friend".

Nazeer, who has set up a successful beekeeping unit, was one of the few achievers selected to interact with Modi after his public rally at the Bakshi stadium here. During their interaction, he expressed his wish for taking a selfie with Modi. The prime minister later posted a tweet along with the selfie with Nazeer. "A memorable selfie with my friend Nazim. I was impressed by the good work he's doing. Nazeer said he started his beekeeping venture with two boxes as a hobby but soon availed a government scheme to increase the number of boxes to 25. "The first extraction was 75 kg which earned me Rs 60,000. I took a PMEGP loan of Rs 5 lakh and added 200 boxes. The yield was good and through online marketing, we sold around 5000 kg of honey," he said. He said he has now increased the number of boxes to 2000 and added 100 more youths to his beekeeping venture.