Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts in bridging the gap between "Dil (heart) and Delhi" and holding assembly polls in the Union Territory while exuding confidence that the statehood restoration promise would soon be fulfilled.
Addressing a gathering after the prime minister inaugurated the 6.5-km Z-Morh tunnel renamed 'Sonamarg Tunnel' in the Ganderbal district, the chief minister began his speech by paying tributes to the seven people who died in a terrorist attack near the tunnel site on October 20 last year.
He said terrorism will be defeated to ensure peace and development besides safeguarding democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Prime minister, when you came to Srinagar for a programme after getting a third term (in office), people started believing your words. You talked about three important things which included your efforts to bridge 'Dil ki duri aur Delhi se duri', and you have proved it by your work.
"This is your second function in Jammu and Kashmir within 15 days after inaugurating (virtually from Delhi) the separate Jammu Railway Division (on January 6)," Abdullah said.
In the presence of PM Modi, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said, "You also promised (assembly) elections within four months and you stayed true to your words. People got an opportunity to take part in the voting and today I am participating in this programme as chief minister."
Referring to Modi's speech during his visit to Srinagar on International Yoga Day last year, the chief minister said, "My heart says that very soon, you will fulfil your third promise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir which is the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory."
The chief minister's statehood remark in the presence of the prime minister was welcomed by the audience with a round of applause.
This was Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government nearly three months ago.
Abdullah said the inauguration of projects like the 'Sonamarg Tunnel' tunnel would definitely bridge the gap between Jammu and Kashmir's "'dil' (heart)" and Delhi.
He said the biggest positive of the election was that there was no complaint of rigging, misuse of official machinery or repoll anywhere and "the credit for it goes to you, your team and the Election Commission of India".
The chief minister said people, including his colleagues, ask him about statehood restoration. "I tell them that the prime minister kept his promise of elections and so my heart says that very soon, you will fulfil your third promise as well and Jammu and Kashmir will once again get the status of a state."
Abdullah read out the names of the seven victims in last year's terror attack near the tunnel and said they sacrificed their lives for this project and the development of Jammu and Kashmir and the country.
"I belong to a political regime whose thousands of leaders and workers have been killed in the last 35 years because we were... Not ready to see the country being divided,” the chief minister said.
He said the prime minister's presence in the tunnel inauguration programme is a testament to the fact that those who carried out the attack do not want the development of this region and the country.
"They do not want a peaceful atmosphere and democracy. But they can never be successful. They will always have to face defeat here and we will never allow them to cause any harm to democracy," he said.
Abdullah said there were many challenges in building the tunnel and the work on the project was also halted.
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been waiting for this tunnel for a very long time. Because of this tunnel, the people will not have to come to the lower parts. We will be able to develop Sonamarg as a tourist destination and this tunnel will also facilitate speedy work on the under-construction Zojila tunnel (to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh)," he said.
He thanked Prime Minister Modi for visiting Kashmir in the cold weather and said, "We hope that you will come again and again, and join in our happiness."
The two-lane bi-directional road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir has been built at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore. It is equipped with a parallel 7.5-metre-wide escape passage for emergencies.
Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level, the tunnel will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg en route to Leh, bypassing landslide and avalanche spots.
