Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: On his first visit to Kashmir valley after the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a rally with party leaders expecting a crowd of over one lakh people at Bakshi Stadium, here, on March 7.
As Kashmir sits on the cusp of a new beginning, united in its pursuit of peace and progress, the visit is expected to be a symbol of reconciliation, more than a political event. Modi hasn’t visited Kashmir so far after the erstwhile state’s special status was revoked on August 5, 2019.
The last time he visited was on February 3, 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In November 2015, the Prime Minister addressed a public meeting at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium.
The venue of Modi’s upcoming rally has already been shifted from Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) to Bakshi Stadium amidst expectations of a huge turnout for the event. The Bakshi Stadium, with its larger seating capacity, is deemed more suitable to host the anticipated crowd.
The PM's visit to Kashmir will be a morale booster for the Kashmir BJP unit that is preparing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls slated for April-May this year.
“There is a lot of excitement about the Prime Minister’s rally. There is a lot of enthusiasm about this rally in Kashmir as well as across the country,” said party’s senior leader and former cabinet minister Sunil Sharma.
He said there is enthusiasm among the people in Kashmir “where the BJP was regarded as untouchable before.”
The venue for the PM’s visit has been placed under round-the-clock surveillance with security personnel deployed around. A senior police official said there will be aerial surveillance of the venue and some parts will also remain under drone surveillance.
On February 20, Modi visited Jammu and inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 32000 crore, besides addressing a public rally in Jammu’s Maulana Azad stadium.