Question still lurks: When will J&K see state polls?
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, who was in Jammu last week, is likely to address a public rally at Bakshi Stadium and announce a slew of projects related to agriculture and tourism. The meeting, whose venue was shifted from the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), is likely to be attended by around two lakh people, including government officials, BJP workers and locals.
The last time Modi visited Kashmir was in February 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls then, as part of his tour to all three regions of the former state. In April 2022, he had addressed elected representatives of local bodies on National Panchayat Day in Jammu.
J&K has a deep connection with lotus: PM Modi
Addressing his first rally in Srinagar since the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “The success story of Jammu and Kashmir will be the centre of attraction for the world... We see lotus everywhere in the lakes here. The logo of the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association, formed 50 years ago, also has a lotus. Is it a coincidence or a sign of nature that the BJP's symbol is also a lotus and Jammu & Kashmir has a deep connection with the lotus?”
Tourism in J&K breaking all records: PM Modi
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.”
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Congress, its allies misled people of J&K on Article 370: PM Modi
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.
Development of J&K is priority for developed India: PM Modi
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.”
PM Modi distributes appointment letters to newly recruited govt employees
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.
PM Modi launches projects worth Rs 6,400 crore
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.
J&K L-G Manoj Sinha felicitates PM Modi
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: PM Modi interacts with entrepreneurs ahead of rally
PM Modi reaches Srinagar stadium to address rally
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.
Crowds throng Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium for PM Modi's rally
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.
PM Modi reaches Srinagar
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.
In Pics: People gather in Srinagar ahead of PM Modi's visit
Govt employees being forcibly mobilised to paint pretty picture, says Mehbooba Mufti
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.
In Kashmir, question still lurks: When will J&K see state polls?
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
Dictatorial J&K govt has pulled out all stops to gather crowd for Modi’s rally: Omar Abdullah
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.
Why the BJP is focussing on Kashmir
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.
What's on PM Modi's agenda during his Kashmir visit today?
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.
Welcome to our Live Blog!
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.