Defence minister Rajnath Singh lauded the people of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday for overwhelmingly taking part in the first phase of polling in the Assembly election on September 18 and said Pakistan is feeling "pain in its belly" watching democracy flourishing in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader accused the National Conference (NC), Congress and People's Democratic Party (PDP) of misleading people by talking about the restoration of Article 370 of the Constitution in their manifestoes and said these parties should stop working as "proxies of Pakistan".

"The first phase of the Assembly election registered more than 61 per cent polling, the highest in 30 years and surpassing the record-breaking 58 per cent polling in the Lok Sabha election. The message has gone to the world that Article 370 was abrogated for the betterment of India.

"People have raised the flag of democracy so high that Pakistan is feeling pain in its belly. We do not want enmity with Pakistan as we want good relations with all our neighbours. Pakistan keeps doing unholy things against India to divert the attention of its people from its internal problems," Singh said, addressing a poll rally in support of BJP candidate Choudhary Abdul Gani here.

Referring to a reported statement of Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that his country and the NC-Congress alliance are on the same page over restoration of Article 370, Singh wondered who has given the authority to the neighbouring country to interfere in Jammu and Kashmir's internal matters.

"I want to ask my friends in the NC, Congress and PDP, are you fighting elections as proxies of Pakistan?" he asked.

The defence minister said people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are distressed and want to join India.

"They are witnessing the change in Jammu and Kashmir and India's progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. They are considering joining India for their prosperity and they no longer want to live with them (Pakistan)," he said, adding that India has never differentiated among people on the basis of religion and considered the PoK residents as "our own".

Referring to a statement of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- "hum dost badal sakte hai, humsaaye nahi (we can change friends but not neighbours)" -- Singh said if Pakistan treads the right path, India is willing to have good relations with all its neighbours. "We should not forget the words of Vajpayee," he added.

"The NC, Congress and PDP are making a lot of noise over Article 370 and have promised to restore it. How will you restore it as only a government at the Centre has the power to do so?" Singh asked.

He said real politics is to tell the truth to people by looking in their eyes, instead of misleading them for securing their votes. "The BJP is clear in its stand that we will not allow restoration of Article 370 come what may," the defence minister asserted.

On August 5, 2019, the BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370, which had bestowed special rights on Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories.

Holding Article 370 responsible for the death and destruction in Jammu and Kashmir over the last 35 years, Singh said 80 per cent of those who lost their lives due to terrorism were Muslims.

"If the NC-Congress alliance comes to power, people will start losing their lives (to terrorism). Article 370 was the reason why Jammu and Kashmir lagged behind," he said.

The veteran leader said if the BJP comes to power here, it will ensure that Jammu and Kashmir is the most developed region in the country in 10 years.

He said the revocation of Article 370 led to the implementation of the Constitution in letter and spirit in Jammu and Kashmir. "That time has gone when there was no tricolour at Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of Srinagar. Does anyone have the power now to stop someone from hoisting the national flag there?" he asked the gathering.

Singh also accused the NC, Congress and PDP of dividing people on the basis of religion and said "everyone born on Indian soil, belonging to any faith, is an Indian citizen".

He said the BJP is the only political party that can restore the pride of Jammu and Kashmir.

"After independence, Jammu and Kashmir, which was known as paradise on earth, got lost in the whirlwind of the past. We have to pull it out from this whirlwind and take it forward, unlike the past rulers who kept it backward and indulged in divisive politics," he said.

"You have witnessed the drop in terror activities. Jammu and Kashmir is now known as the country's tourism capital than being infamous for terrorism," Singh said, lauding the culture of Kashmir where people from all religions used to celebrate their festivals together.

He accused local politicians of destroying the region and said, "Modi's politics will not allow them to ruin Jammu and Kashmir anymore. Modi has a special place for Jammu and Kashmir in his heart." Referring to Vajpayee's words -- "Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat" -- Singh said this is the focus of the BJP, while political dynasts only want to grab power.

He said Modi has provided justice to the deprived sections of the society with the abrogation of Article 370 and the country is marching ahead to become the third-largest economy by 2027 and a developed nation by 2047.

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