PM Modi's Top Quotes In Address To Nation: Article 370 Gone, A New Age Awaits Jammu And Kashmir

PM Modi said the progress of Jammu and Kashmir can now be ensured.

New Delhi: In an address to the nation today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi justified the withdrawal of the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370 and said that the move will "liberate" the people of the region and bring them closer to the rest of the country. His address came at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is under lockdown to discourage violent agitations by the public. PM Modi, in his address, said that he "respected" political critics but asked them to act in the larger interests of the nation instead of blindly opposing the government's actions. He also assured the people of the region that the situation will normalise soon, and hinted at the possibility of Jammu and Kashmir regaining statehood under more conducive conditions. "A new age has dawned on Jammu and Kashmir," he declared.

Here are PM Modi's top quotes from his address to the nation:

The people of Jammu and Kashmir and those of Ladakh were being denied their rights. But a new era has now dawned on Jammu and Kashmir. Now every citizen in the country has equal rights and responsibilities.
There are times when things become stagnant and they don't change. Articles 370 and 35A were harming the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and they were being used as a tool by Pakistan. Nearly 42,000 innocents died in the last 30 years.
Jammu and Kashmir didn't develop at the pace it rightly deserved, but its people will have a brighter future now. The parliament used to pass laws that benefit the people, but Jammu and Kashmir could not benefit from them because of Article 370.
The 1.5 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir did not even benefit from education laws drafted for the entire nation. Children in Jammu and Kashmir didn't even get the right to education. What was their crime?
There are laws to prevent atrocities against Dalits, but they couldn't help Jammu and Kashmir. There are laws to protect minorities, but none in Jammu and Kashmir. Workers there never got their guarantees and rights. But things will get better now that Articles 370 and 35A are history.
I don't think there will be a need to keep Jammu and Kashmir as a union territory for long, although the status will be retained for Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir will touch new heights of development and attract people from the world over.
I urge businesses to come forward to develop the region, because we need to take its products across the world. Ladakh has a huge potential for eco and religious tourism, and it can also be a solar power hub.
Many policemen and officers have died over the years. They all dreamed of a better Jammu and Kashmir. We have to work to achieve their dreams. I thank and congratulate the security forces, the police and the administration for everything they have done.
The situation will normalise soon, and the difficulties will reduce correspondingly. You will continue to have MLAs, you will continue to have a cabinet, you will continue to have a Chief Minister. The only thing you won't have is terrorism.
Some people opposed the government's move, and I respect their opposition. That is essential in a democracy. But I urge them to act in the nation's interests, and help the government in creating a new environment of peace and development in the region.