PM Modi Kashmir Visit LIVE: Congress, its allies misled people of J&K on Article 370, says PM Modi in Srinagar

Addressing his first rally in Srinagar since the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi batted for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. “Now, my next mission is ‘Wed in India’. People should come to J&K and host their weddings... The world has seen how G20 was organised in J&K. There was a time when people used to say, who will go to J&K for tourism? Today, tourism in J&K is breaking all the records. In 2023, more than 2 crore tourists have come here... Now, even big celebrities from across the world are coming to Kashmir.”

Addressing his first rally in Srinagar since the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress saying that the grand old party and its allies have misled the people of the state on details of Article 370.

Addressing a rally in Srinagar’s Bakshi stadium, Prime Minister Narendra Modi batted for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. “I have been told that 1 lakh people from 285 blocks have joined us virtually. I want to thank the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is that new J&K for which we have been waiting for decades. It is that new J&K for which Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed his life. This new J&K has a bright future and the courage to overcome challenges...Seeing your happy faces, 140 crore people across the country are feeling satisfied.”

After flagging off projects worth over Rs 6,400 from Srinagar’s Bakshi stadium, Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed appointment letters to nearly 1,000 newly recruited government employees in J&K.

#WATCH | Jammu & Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributes appointment letters at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium. pic.twitter.com/mt35gQqAHZ

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his is the first visit to Srinagar since the abrogation of Article 370, launched projects worth over Rs 6,400 from the city’s Bakshi stadium.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches and dedicates to the nation 53 projects worth Rs 6,400 crores at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium. pic.twitter.com/5Mfe2kRdGw

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2024

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha felicitated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of the PM’s address. This is the first time PM Modi is in the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370.

#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha felicitates Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium where PM is attending the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir' program. pic.twitter.com/0G2qnPzOaS

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2024

#WATCH | J&K: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets local entrepreneurs, craftsmen and interacts with them in Srinagar.

He will shortly attend the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir' program at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium. pic.twitter.com/GxCmh85zoA

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, where he will be shortly addressing a rally and flagging off multiple developmental projects.

#WATCH | J&K: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium to attend the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir' program. pic.twitter.com/78WreKAzvj

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2024

Wearing Modi masks and chanting his name, scores of people from across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday reached Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium here to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally.

In his first visit to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Modi will unveil multiple development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore, address a public meeting, and participate in the 'Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu Kashmir' programme at the stadium. Hundreds of BJP supporters, wearing tricoloured turbans, also reached the venue while security personnel had a tough time managing the crowd.

Officials said tight security arrangements were in place but there were no restrictions on the movement of people. Life was normal across the Kashmir valley and most of the shops and other business establishments were open here, the officials said. They said there were no restrictions on the movement of the people in any part of the valley, except for traffic diversions around the venue of the PM's rally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Srinagar, making it his first visit to the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370. PM Modi will be unveiling multiple development projects, worth more than Rs 6,400 crore.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar today, former chief minister of the erstwhile state, while sharing a video, accused the BJP of forcibly mobilising people.

“Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilised to paint a pretty picture that all is well post 2019 & that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment & humiliation,” said Mufti on social media platform X.

Government employees are being herded at five am in sub zero temperatures into vehicles at Budgam bus stand ferrying them to the PM’s rally. Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilised to paint a pretty picture that all is well post 2019 & that people here are… pic.twitter.com/NJePtET2P9

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 7, 2024

Several checkpoints have come up across Srinagar as part of heightened security measures, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the city on Thursday, his first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, soon after his government returned to power for a second term. The PM’s visit comes at a time when parties in the Valley are pressing the government to hold simultaneous Assembly elections with the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. J&K has not had an elected government since 2018.

“Whenever the situation deteriorated in Jammu and Kashmir in the past, we had leaders like H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee who tried to restore democracy, but for the first time we have a government at the Centre which doesn’t want to hold elections here,” former chief minister Omar Abdullah had said in December last year. Read More

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of “pulling out all stops” for ensuring a crowd for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally here and said that the BJP would not be able to do so on its own.

“Tomorrow the godi media & agencies will be gushing about the “historic crowd” gathered to hear PM Modi in Srinagar. What they will conveniently forget to mention is that almost none of the people there will be attending of their own free will. The dictatorial J&K Govt has pulled out all stops to give the PM a crowd because the BJP can’t manage anything in J&K without the administration,” Abdullah said on a post on X.

Tomorrow the godi media & agencies will be gushing about the “historic crowd” gathered to hear PM Modi in Srinagar. What they will conveniently forget to mention is that almost none of the people there will be attending of their own free will. The dictatorial J&K Govt has pulled… pic.twitter.com/NawQGPn8Zf

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 6, 2024

The BJP never had any strong base in Kashmir, but this time it hopes to win the Anantnag seat. It is placing its hopes on the changing political equations in the seat in the wake of the 2022 delimitation exercise with the addition of Poonch and Rajouri areas to the constituency. These two areas have considerable Gujjar-Bakerwal, Pahari Muslim and Hindu voters, a sizeable number of whom are BJP supporters.

PM Modi will launch projects for the tourism sector under the “Swadesh Darshan” and “PRASHAD” (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) schemes. This also includes a project for the integrated development of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Modi will also distribute appointment letters to nearly 1,000 newly recruited government employees in J&K and also interact with the beneficiaries of various central schemes. He will then address a public rally at Bakshi Stadium, which will be tracked closely for its messaging.

I will be in Srinagar tomorrow, 7th March to take part in the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir’ programme. Various development works will also be dedicated to the nation. Notable among them are works worth over Rs. 5000 crore relating to boosting the agro-economy. Various…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 6, 2024

Good Morning and welcome to our Live Blog where we will be covering everything related Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Srinagar today. Follow this space for all latest news and updates from the political circles of the country.