Mere handshake not enough, hearts should meet: Rajnath Singh on Modi, Sharif handshake

Srinagar: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif shook hands during the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it was not enough and efforts should be made to bring hearts together.

"Mere handshake is not enough as hearts should also meet," Singh said on Friday, while addressing public meetings in Uri, Kupwara and Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir through telephone from the city airport.

The Home Minister, who was to address the public meetings in Uri, Karnah in Kupwara and Pahalgam in Anantnag districts on Friday ahead of the Assembly elections, did so over telephone as he could not travel there by air due to inclement weather.

Singh said the state has to be brought out of the shadow of terrorism as it should not turn into "hell" due to years of violence in the border state.

He lashed out at political parties in Kashmir for not ushering in development all these years and for pushing the state behind by decades and raising such issues only during elections to secure the votes of the people.

"Kashmir has to be brought out of the shadow of weapons and not allow it to turn into hell," he said.

"Some political parties are talking of alienation and are creating a sense of fear among the people only to secure their votes. They forget about the real issue of development of the state when in power and raise the issue only during elections," he said.

The minister appealed to the people to "bring such a government in Jammu and Kashmir, which does not intimidate you, threaten you, but give you your rights with honour".

Seeking a clear mandate for BJP, Singh said successive governments in the state have failed to address the problems of the people and are raising emotive slogans to hoodwink the people ahead of elections.

"Be it NC, PDP or Congress, they took votes from you but after forming the government they raise emotive slogans, rather than addressing your problems, only to divert your attention. Emotive slogans should not be raised during elections. The issues of development, employment and public welfare should be raised," he said.

Singh said such a government, which wants to "divert your attention and tries to instil fear in you and does not give you the right to live with dignity". "There is no reason to have such a government in the state. I assure you when BJP comes to power, we will provide you the right to live with dignity. It is the promise of BJP," he said.

Singh said he was aware of the needs and issues of the people as there was no development and the rate of literacy is low. "The government had not paid attention to your issues," he said adding there should have been four lane highway from Srinagar to Uri.

"Though the previous government has promised to do it, they did not fulfil it. We will fulfil the promise," he told the crowd in Uri, a border town of north Kashmir.

He said daily wage workers in NHPC have been working for 16 years but have not been made permanent. There are four major power projects in Uri. People of Uri should get 24 hours power supply.

"In BJP-ruled states, electricity is supplied for 24 hours. But it is not done here. I am told that there is a small hospital in Uri and the condition of the patient deteriorates till they are shifted to Srinagar. So there should be a major hospital in Uri," he said.

Singh said the poor pandits in Uri should get houses and employment and his government is thinking over it. "We will take a decision on the issue after some time," he said.

Pressing for implementation of the 73rd amendment in the state, he said the money from the Centre goes directly to the panchayats in other states after the incorporation of the amendment. However, the money does not goes directly to the panchayats in J&K and it goes to the government. "How much does the government give you, you know it. There is rampant corruption in the state," he said.