PM Modi in Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is head of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (March 7) unveiled multiple development projects worth more than ₹6,400 crore in Srinagar during the “Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu Kashmir” programme.

This is the PM’s first visit to the Kashmir valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

In his address to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi said, "Elated to be amongst the wonderful people of Srinagar. Numerous projects are being dedicated today which will boost development of Jammu and Kashmir."

Srinagar is now the hub of India's tourism industry, he said.

Path to building developed Jammu and Kashmir will emerge from tourism possibilities, and empowerment of farmers, he added.

Jammu and Kashmir is head of India, Modi said.

Earlier, the prime minister landed at the Srinagar airport and then flew to Badamibagh Cantonment, the headquarters of the Army's 15 or Chinar Corps, the officials said. He laid a wreath at the War Memorial and paid tributes to the fallen soldiers.

The Prime Minister then drove to Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the PM's event, via Gupkar and Zero Bridge in a cavalcade.

J&K LG Manoj Sinha welcomed the prime minister to Srinagar on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Wearing Modi masks and chanting his name, scores of people from across Jammu and Kashmir reached Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium to attend PM Modi's rally. Hundreds of BJP supporters, wearing tricoloured turbans, also reached the venue while security personnel had a tough time managing the crowd.

Tight security arrangements

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

Traffic movement on the city's Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh and Rajbagh to LD Hospital-Tulsi Bagh route has been restricted from 4 am to 7 pm given the VVIP visit, the officials said. They said the Jahangir Chowk-Solina-Ram Bagh stretch also remains restricted for the civilian traffic movement. Similarly, Raj Bagh-LD Hospital-Tulsi Bagh besides Gupkar Road up to the All India Radio Srinagar office is also restricted for civilian traffic movement.

However, the officials said all medical emergencies would be facilitated with access through the shortest possible route.

Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers along the routes to be taken by Modi in Srinagar while barricades have been set up at several places, they said. Drones and CCTV cameras are being used for surveillance while foot patrolling by the security forces has been intensified in a two-kilometre radius around the venue, officials said.

Marine commandos have been deployed in Jhelum River and Dal Lake to prevent the use of the water bodies for any subversive activities, the officials said.

Several schools in Srinagar were closed for two days, while board examinations scheduled to be held on Thursday have been postponed till next month.

Govt employees ‘forcibly’ ferried to PM’s event: Mehbooba Mufti

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kashmir is only meant to address and drum support among the BJP's core constituency in the rest of the country in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday (March 7), alleging that government employees were "forcibly" ferried to the venue of the prime minister's event here.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister alleged that government employees were "forcibly mobilised" and ferried to Modi's rally to paint a "pretty picture that all is well" post 2019, when the Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories.

"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 and that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment and humiliation," Mufti said in a post on X.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) president said the scene "stands contrary" to earlier visits by previous prime ministers like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh at the peak of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, when common people thronged to the venues of their events with great enthusiasm and returned with a hope in their hearts.

"But this time Kashmiris know that everything spoken at Bakshi stadium will be to showcase the so-called benefits of illegal abrogation of Article 370 akin to putting salt to their wounds. This visit is only meant to address and drum support amongst BJP's core constituency in the rest of India for the upcoming Parliament elections," she said.

J&K admin pulling out all stops to ensure a crowd: Omar Abdullah

Another former chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah also accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday of "pulling out all stops" to ensure a crowd for Modi's rally.

He said the BJP would not be able to do so on its own in Kashmir. Abdullah said thousands of government employees have been asked to assemble at select locations before dawn so that they can be taken to the venue of Modi's rally.

"Employees, men and women in 1000s are being asked to assemble between 4:30 am and 5:30 am in the freezing temperatures to be bused to the venue. This participation isn't optional, it's compulsory. Employees who don't show up are being threatened with disciplinary action by their dept heads," he said on X.

(With agency inputs)