Breaking his silence on the violent clashes in the Kashmir Valley that have left 54 people dead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Kashmir&’s image was being hurt by some people who have been misled even as he promised more employment opportunities to the valley&’s youth.

In his address after inaugurating the ‘Azadi 70 Saal Yaad Karo Qurbani’ programme in Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh to mark the 70th anniversary of India’s Independence from the British rule, Modi said he was saddened to see stones in the hands of Kashmiri youth.

"A handful of people have gone astray and they are the ones who are hurting Kashmir&’s image. Every Indian desires to go to Kashmir, every Indian loves Kashmir. But some people there are causing harm to the valley,” Modi said.

Especially reaching out to the youth who have been at the forefront of the protests and pelting stones at security personnel, Modi said Kashmiri youth should be holding laptops, books and cricket bats not stones.

“It pains me when I see young boys holding stones in their hands instead of a laptop or a book or a bat. The freedom that every Indian has also belongs to every Kashmiri. We want the same bright future for every youth in Kashmir,” he said.

“We will provide job opportunities to the youth of Kashmir,” he added, stressing that the citizen of Kashmir wants to earn more money through tourism.

"Be it the J-K government under Mehbooba Mufti or the Central government, we are finding solution to all problems through development," he said.

Modi also invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee&’s name and said: "We are the people who walk the path that Atal Bihari Vajpayee took when it comes to Kashmir."

Modi also remembered freedom fighters on the occasion and said that it was because of the ultimate contribution by the freedom fighters that “made it possible for us to breathe in freedom”.

“Let us remember those who gave their lives so that we can breathe the air of freedom,” he said.

Modi also asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs to highlight the contributions of freedom fighters and martyrs among school children during fortnight-long celebrations of India’s 70th Independence Day.

In a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party, Modi also released a theme song ’70 Saal Azadi, Yaad Karo Kurbani’ for Tiranga Yatra being organised.