Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said militancy was “taking its last breath” in Jammu and Kashmir, the claim in Jammu’s Doda coinciding with a fresh spurt in militancy which has left two soldiers and three militants dead in two days.

“Terrorism is taking its last breath in Jammu and Kashmir. The changes brought about in the last 10 years are nothing short of a dream. The stones that were used to target the security forces are now used to build a new Jammu and Kashmir,” he said at his maiden election rally in Doda, in line with the claim of his government and the BJP that the abolition of Article 370 provisions had led to a drastic reduction in insurgency. Contrary to these claims, militancy has witnessed a revival in the aftermath of the 2019 decisions while continuing unabated in Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir vote in three phases from September 18.

Security forces were engaged in several operations in the Union Territory on Saturday. Two soldiers were killed and two injured when militants surprised them during a counter-insurgency operation in adjoining Kishtwar district of Jammu late on Friday. The operation continued on Saturday.

Three militants were also killed in an operation in Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday. Officials said the security forces foiled an infiltration bid in the Nowshera area of Rajouri in which one soldier was reportedly injured.

The Prime Minister, however, said the situation had vastly improved and credited the people of Jammu and Kashmir for this. He made no mention of the Kishtwar operation.

Modi accused three families — the Gandhis, Abdullahs and the Muftis — of making the land fertile for “separatism and terror”.

“Who benefited from it? It is the enemies of the country. They are nourishing terrorism to sustain their businesses running into crores and hundreds of crores. Because of their sins, thousands of our kids lost their lives,” the Prime Minister said, claiming the situation was such that a home minister in the erstwhile UPA government “dared not visit Srinagar’s Lal Chowk”.

Former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had last week said he was scared of visiting Lal Chowk during his tenure. But he was the first home minister after militancy who freely visited Lal Chowk in 2012 with little security, interacting with people and relishing ice cream.

The Congress and the National Conference hit back at Modi, with former chief minister Omar Abdullah cautioning him to focus on the “deteriorating” security situation instead of raising the bogey of dynastic politics.

Supporters during a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, in Doda district, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. PTI photo

National Conference leader Omar questioned Modi over his silence on the deaths of two soldiers in Kishtwar.

“The Prime Minister should have spoken on this (violence). He made a speech in Doda, coming here less than 24 hours (of the incident) in which two of our brave men, including an officer, were killed. Even as we speak, an encounter is continuing in Baramulla. The Prime Minister is misleading people by discussing dynasties,” Omar said.

“He should talk about the present situation. When Article 370 was removed, the country was told that guns are used in Kashmir because of Article 370. After five years, there are still encounters,” he added.

Omar said when the BJP needed one of the three families for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, a reference to the Muftis, it had no issues.

“When (former Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee had to give a ministerial berth, he picked me (as junior foreign minister). There was nothing wrong with us. Now, during the (upcoming Assembly) elections, they say that we are wrong,” he said.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said in Mumbai that there had been 25 militant strikes in Jammu and Kashmir in the 98 days of Modi’s third term in which 21 security personnel and 15 civilians had been killed and dozens injured.

Soon after Modi’s speech, the army held a wreath-laying ceremony to pay tribute to Subedar Vipan Kumar and Rifleman Arvind Singh who died in Friday evening’s gunfight in Kishtwar.

“Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said on X.

Modi also targeted Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for his recent speech in Anantnag in which he said BJP leaders would have been in jail if the INDIA bloc had got 20 more seats.

“We don’t run the government to send people to jail, but to end corruption and for the good of ordinary citizens. When there is no positive thought, what other agenda can you have but to jail people?” he said.

Modi said his government would restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, September 25 and October 1, with counting set for October 8.