Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a positive change in situation under the NDA government, compared to the past, with a G20 meeting being conducted successfully in Srinagar recently, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Thursday.
Addressing a workshop on BJP’s Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan in Telangana, Reddy, who attended the G20 working group meeting on tourism held in Srinagar, said no international seminar was held there since last 40 years.
He recalled that even unfurling the tricolour was not easy when the then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi and the party’s then national secretary Narendra Modi planned to hoist it at Lal Chowk in Srinagar as part of the party’s ‘Ekta Yatra’.
The presence of national flags and the successful conduct of the tourism event in Srinagar with international delegates being welcomed is an example of the change that occurred in the country under Prime Minister Modi, he said.
Incidents of stone pelting at security personnel used to take place in J-K earlier (it is not so now), he said.
When the G20 meeting was proposed to be held in Srinagar, Pakistan’s leaders questioned as to how an international event can be held in the city saying it is a disputed region. China and others also gave statements against the event. But, finally representatives of 28 countries participated. This shows the confidence that they had on the Modi government, the Union Minister said.
Earlier, foreign countries used to issue advisories to their tourists not to visit Jammu and Kashmir during their India visit. But, large number of tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2022. This was made possible under the Modi regime, Reddy said.
He also said bomb blasts, communal riots, ISI activities used to take place in the country earlier, but such activities have been put down with an iron hand by the Centre. Terror activities, communal incidents and others are not taking place in the country now, he said and added that surgical strikes were conducted when our security personnel were attacked. Referring to the criticism against Modi government by the opposition parties, he said the Centre has been working with honesty in contrast to allegations of corruption during the previous UPA regime.
He highlighted the Union government’s welfare and development measures, including free ration and bank accounts for poor and digital revolution.
Hitting out at Congress in Karnataka, he alleged that supporters of MLAs were protesting seeking ministerial berths to their leaders even after the party got absolute majority in the recently held assembly elections.
He said Congress or other parties cannot give a stable government and only BJP and Modi can ensure it and address the country’s problems.
Talking about ruling BRS in Telangana seeking to expand its presence in Maharashtra, he said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao does not have time to meet flood-hit people in the state or attend development events being inaugurated by Modi in the state. But, he visits neighbouring Maharashtra, he said.
