In 2019, the Centre scrapped the special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and split the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In a big message for Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the time is not far when assembly elections will be held and statehood will be restored in the Union Territory. Addressing an election rally in J&K's Udhampur, PM Modi said what has happened so far is "just the trailer".
In 2019, the Centre scrapped the special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and split the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Udhampur, PM Modi on Friday says, "Modi thinks far ahead. So what has happened so far is just the trailer. I have to get busy in creating a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir."
"The time is not far when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLA and your ministers..." PM Modi added.
PM Modi also slammed the Congress and Opposition bloc 'INDIA', saying their members "do not care about the sentiments of the majority of the people of the country."
"They enjoy playing with the sentiments of the people. A person who has been sentenced by the court and who is on bail, they visit the house of such a criminal and enjoys cooking mutton in the month of Sawan and they make a video of it to tease the people of the country," PM Modi said.
PM Modi was referring to a viral video -- released in September last year -- in which RJD leader Lalu Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were seen cooking mutton together.
"The law does not stop anyone from eating anything but the intentions of these people are something else. When the Mughals attacked here, they were not satisfied until they demolished the temples. So just like Mughals, they want to tease the people of the country by showing the video in the month of Sawan...," PM Modi added.
The prime minister also brought up the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in his speech and said the temple is "was never an election issue for BJP, as portrayed by the Congress."
"Congress says Ram Mandir is an election issue for BJP. I want to say that Ram Mandir was never an election issue, nor it will ever become an election issue. The struggle for Ram temple was going on even before the birth of the BJP," PM Modi said.
When foreign invaders destroyed our temples, the people of India fought to save their religious places, PM Modi said, adding that the "leaders of Congress and its allies lived in big bungalows but when it came to changing the tent of Ram Lalla, they used to turn their backs."
The rally PM Modi addressed was organised at the Modi ground along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in support of Union minister Jitendra Singh, who is vying a hat-trick of poll victories from the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat.
Udhampur goes to polls on April 19.
The Congress has fielded Choudhary Lal Singh and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) has nominated G M Saroori from the seat.