Modi denounces demand for separate Jammu and Kashmir PM

Addressing a well-attended "Vijay Sankalp" election meeting of the BJP at the sprawling LB stadium in the heart of the city tonight, he took strong exception to NC leader Omar Abdullah's suggestion for a separate PM for J&K.

He vehemently asked the partners of the "Mahagatbandhan" (Grand Alliance), of which NC is also a member, to clarify on the demand.

Mr Modi wanted the Congress and other leaders of the alliance including former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, Mamata Banerjee and N. Chandrababu Naidu to make public their stand on the issue.

He said as long as the "chowkidar" was there, he would not allow the demand for separate PM for Jammu and Kashmir which would only lead to the 1953 situation.

Reacting to it, Abdullah said: "Dear friends in the Congress & other opposition parties. Please don’t hesitate to distance yourselves from my speech of today. In fact call Modi ji’s bluff by doing exactly that."

Mr Modi also took on the TRS government, which he said was not interested in the development of the state and in particular the old city of Hyderabad, but only the development of one family of chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

He said the car belonged to the TRS (car is the poll symbol of the TRS) but the steering was in the hands of the Majlis-e-ittehadul-Muslimeen. He said that the Majlis was not interested in the development of the old city and that was the reason why it was opposing the metro rail project in the old city.

Listing out the achievements of the five-year rule of the NDA under the stewardship of the "chowkidar", he said with the blessings of the people including those of Hyderabad, its twin Secunderabad and Telangana, he said that not a single new tax was levied.

He said that income tax exemption limit which was raised to Rs. 5 lakh came into force from Monday (April 1).

He spoke about the easy availability of educational, medical and home loans and added that all the existing relief would vanish if a government other than the BJP-headed government assumed power after the Lok Sabha election at the Centre.

Modi said that the Ramagundem fertilizer factory would be revived and more infrastructure facilities would be provided to the twin cities.

Hyderabad where many multi-national units were located was an inspiration to the youth who wished to make a mark in life. he added.

Before the start of the speech of Mr Modi, Senior Congress leader P Sudhakar Reddy joined the BJP.