Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir to inaugurate development projects exceeding ₹6,400 crore and address a significant public gathering. This event is anticipated to be the largest political rally in the region since 2019, marking PM Modi’s first visit to Srinagar since the revocation of Article 370.
PM Modi commenced his visit by laying a wreath at the War Memorial in Badamibagh Cantonment, paying homage to fallen soldiers. Subsequently, he proceeded to Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar for the rally, which comes as part of his second trip to Jammu and Kashmir within three weeks.
This visit holds particular significance amidst the impending general elections and the Supreme Court’s directive for the government to conduct Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. The BJP has made the scrapping of Article 370 a focal point of its election agenda, both locally and nationally.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP and the National Conference each secured three Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Srinagar seat won by former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. This constituency has historically favoured the National Conference, with wins by the Congress in 1996 and the Peoples’ Democratic Party in 2014.
Security measures for the Prime Minister’s visit are extensive, with a massive deployment of police and paramilitary forces across the city. Surveillance measures include drone monitoring and an extensive CCTV network, while foot-patrolling is being conducted in a two-kilometre radius around the venue.
Despite the heightened security, officials assure minimal disruption to daily life, with civilian traffic being rerouted in certain areas to facilitate the event. During his previous visit to Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi launched numerous development projects worth over ₹32,000 crore, spanning education, transportation, and infrastructure sectors.
