Congress should thank Modi for removing Article 370: Minister Jitendra Singh

Srinagar: The Congress should thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling their promise by removing Article 370, which was a temporary provision of the Constitution, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday.

He also said the Modi government brought grassroots democracy to Jammu and Kashmir "for the first time".

"When Syama Prasad Mookerjee suggested in the Constituent Assembly that there should be a rethink on it (Article 370), the biggest advocates of the provision including Jawahar Lal Nehru responded by saying 'this will erode over time'. However, Congress could not erode it due to their own political interests. Modiji has done what Congress governments should have done much earlier," Singh told reporters here.

"I think Congress should thank Modiji for fulfilling their promise and removing what was temporary," he added.

The Union minister inaugurated a seven-day exhibition highlighting the achievements of the Modi government in the past nine years.

Responding to a question on Article 370 petitions coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, he said, "Whether the hearing takes places or not, Article 370 was written in the Constitution and in the same Constitution, it was written that it is a temporary provision."

Asked about opposition parties here claiming lack of democracy in the Union Territory, Singh said Modi had brought grassroots democracy to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time.

"The democratic set up is already there, panch, sarpanches are there. We have BDCs and DDCs also. This credit also goes to Modiji that for the first time, district councils have been set up here. The issue is that there was no democracy earlier. The grassroots democracy has come due to Modiji," he added.

About the poll violence in West Bengal, Singh said it was condemnable and cannot be tolerated in a democracy.

"The unfortunate incidents in Bengal are condemnable on three counts. It exposes the political hypocrisy. Those who said democracy has been murdered in Maharashtrsa, see how they are murdering it in Bengal. Law and order and governance has failed, and unleashing of state terrorism. The government is itself involved in this bloodshed. Such situation cannot be tolerated in a democratic country. The concerned departments and authorities will take appropriate action," he added.

On the exhibition, he said it has been organised on the completion of nine years of Narendra Modi as the prime minister.

"The way the standing of India has increased in the global community and the way Modi has emerged as the most towering leader in the world. The world leaders are eager to know what India's stand will be on some key issues. This exhibition is about the progress made in every field and every sector," the minister said.

"Chandrayaan is being launched on 14th of this month and when it will land successfully, India will become fourth country in the world to land on the moon. The success of the effort can be gauged from the fact that other countries had started their space programmes much before India did, but Modi government has given a new atmosphere which has boosted the morale of the scientists. The way public-private partnership in space sector has been encouraged has meant that India is able to stand shoulder to shoulder with agencies like NASA," he added.