PM Modi to unveil ₹6,400 crore projects in Kashmir, address public meeting. BJP hopes for boost in Muslim-majority region; Opposition seeks statehood & elections

In his first visit to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is set to unveil development projects worth more than ₹6,400 crore and address a public meeting in Srinagar on Thursday.

Strict security arrangements have been put in place ahead of the visit at Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the rally.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, meanwhile, is hoping that the visit will bolster the party’s prospects in Muslim-majority Kashmir, where the party has been looking to gain a foothold by eyeing a Lok Sabha seat in southern Kashmir for the first time.

“For us the presence of Narendra Modi is going to be a big boost for our cadres. Besides developmental projects, there is every possibility that he will convey some good news to people of Kashmir,” BJP state spokesperson Altaf Thakur said.

Local party unit president Ravendra Raina said two lakh people will attend the rally. “We have deployed hundreds of our cadres to make this event historic,” he said.

“Tomorrow insha Allah, PM Modi will visit Srinagar and inaugurate the integrated development project of the Hazratbal shrine, one of the most esteemed Muslim shrines in Srinagar. Those who are aware of Kashmir’s history will know the significance of this event, and how far we have come,” wrote former political activist, Shehla Rashid on X.

Statehood On Opposition Mind

The Opposition bloc parties, National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, maintained that they do not see anything significant coming out of the PM’s visit.

“While development is important, restoration of democracy and fulfilling aspirations of people are a priority,” PDP spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari said.

Echoing the sentiment, a senior NC leader said statehood and assembly elections would be the biggest gift for Kashmir. “I don’t see PM Modi touching these topics as even panchayat and urban local bodies polls have been deferred.”

The sentiment finds resonance with the general public as well, with Javeed Ahmad, a local, saying, “It was a promise of BJP that Jammu and Kashmir will be granted statehood after delimitation. Nothing has happened yet. The common people here feel disempowered.”

On his arrival at Bakshi Stadium, PM Modi will participate in the “Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir” program and launch the ₹5,000 crore Holistic Agriculture Development Program for boosting agri-economy in J&K.

Multiple projects aimed to boost tourism and the ₹1,400-crore Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme and the Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine are among the other projects that will be in focus.