Bid to spread hate in Kashmir won’t work: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday said that those trying to spread hate and obstruct development works in Kashmir will never succeed. He asserted that the power of development is stronger than the might of bullets and bombs.

He raised the issue in his monthly ‘Mann ki baat’ radio broadcast, where he also announced a quiz contest on the Chandrayaan-II mission, whose winner would be sent to Sriharikota to witness the space craft's landing on moon in September.

Referring to the “Back to village” programme held in June in Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said that the initiative witnessed enthusiastic participation of villagers everywhere, including in very sensitive and remote villages, as government officials reached there to discuss development schemes with locals.

“It shows how keen people of Kashmir are to join mainstream of development. Such programmes and people’s participation in them, show that people of Kashmir want good governance. This also proves the dictum that the power of development is stronger than the might of bullets and bombs,” the Prime Minister said.

For the first time, Mr Modi claimed that senior officials reached the doorsteps of villagers across 4,500 panchayats. These officials also reached villages on border which live under the shadow of cross-border firing, he said.

Speaking on the Chandrayaan-II mission, Mr Modi said that the two “greatest lessons” he learnt from the Chandrayaan-II mission are “faith and earlessness” and also announced a quiz competition whose winners will get an opportunity to visit Sriharikota to witness the moment the spacecraft will land on moon.