Stating that he was constantly endeavouring to remove “Dil ki doori and Dilli ki Doori” between Kashmir and Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Thursday that preparations for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir have begun and the people would soon choose the government through their vote.

Indicating that the statehood of J&K will be restored, he said, “The day will also come soon when Jammu and Kashmir will once again make its future better as a state”.

In a warning to perpetrators of terrorism sitting across the Line of Control (LoC), the prime minister said; “The government has taken the recent terror attacks very seriously. I assure you that we will not hesitate to teach a lesson to the enemies of peace in Jammu and Kashmir”.

On holding of the Assembly elections, Modi said; “You’ll choose your government through your vote soon. As a state, very soon Jammu and Kashmir will make a better future”.

“Through the elected representatives you will find ways to solve the problems, what can be better than this,” he added.

Modi was launching projects worth Rs.1,500 crore and a Competitiveness Improvement in Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP) worth Rs 1,800 crore during his first visit to J&K after being sworn in as PM for the third successive term.

He struck a chord with the people when he recalled the famous phrase of the former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee “Insaniyat, Jamhooriat and Kashmiriat”.

He said it was his endeavour to remove the distances between the hearts and the distance between Kashmir and Delhi.

He said the people of Kashmir are victorious in keeping the flag of democracy flying high by overwhelmingly participating in the recent Lok Sabha elections. “I have come here to thank you for keeping the flag of democratic process flying high. It would have been encouraging had the opposition also praised this development”.

“The whole world is witnessing the changes in the Kashmir Valley…Humara Kashmir kitna aage badh gaya hai’…You will see that the International Yoga Day celebration will also become an attraction for tourists. The changes we are seeing in Jammu & Kashmir today is the result of our work in the last 10 years.”

“India’s aspirations are at an all-time high. Hence its expectations from its government are also at an all time high,” he said.

“An aspirational society has only one parameter – performance. The country saw the performance and it is the result of this performance that the government has got a chance for the third time. Our government performs and delivers results. Forming the government for the third time has given a message of stability to the world”, Modi stressed.

“The last decade of the last century has seen a long period of unstable governments. Elections were held 5 times in 10 years. That means the country kept conducting elections and there was nothing else to do. Due to this instability, uncertainty, when it was time for India to take off, we became grounded, we suffered a lot. Leaving that period behind, now India has entered a new era of stable government. This has strengthened our democracy. Jammu and Kashmir have played a very big role in strengthening democracy.”

“Today, when I was preparing to leave from Delhi to Srinagar, I was filled with joy and I was wondering why I was so excited. Two reasons caught my attention; in today’s event, projects related to the development of Jammu and Kashmir and second, this is my first meeting with brothers and sisters from Kashmir after the Lok Sabha polls,” Modi said.

He said, “Today, 84 major developmental projects valued at more than Rs 1,500 crores were inaugurated here. Projects related to the agriculture sector worth Rs 1800 crore were inaugurated. New national highways and expressways are being constructed here. Every Indian feels proud when they see pictures of the world’s highest bridge on the river Chenab.”

Earlier, the J&K LG Manoj Sinha felicitated PM Modi.