On April 24, PM Modi will make his first visit to Jammu & Kashmir since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre decided to end the erstwhile State’s special constitutional status under Articles 370 and 35(A) and split it into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019, marking the end of the erstwhile State’s special constitutional status.
Mr. Modi will speak to grassroots representatives in Jammu on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day. They were chosen in November-December 2020, following a 15-month wait for panchayat elections.
Mr. Modi stated in a speech on August 15, 2019, that J&K will be returned to statehood “at a suitable time” and that election would be held in the state, which has been under Central administration since June 2018.
Regional parties in J&K will be watching to see if the Prime Minister’s address, which is likely to draw approximately one lakh people, will signal a continuation of his engagement with local political players, which began during an all-party summit in Delhi on June 24, 2021.
PM Modi talked about dil ki doori
PM Modi talked about lowering “dil ki doori” (distance between hearts) and “Dilli ki doori” (distance from Delhi) during the much-publicized all-party meeting last year, according to a senior National Conference (NC) leader, “but little progress has been made since then.” “It will be interesting to see if he tries to bridge the widening chasm between hearts and the distance from Delhi. “However, we have low expectations from the visit,” the NC leader stated.
The Prime Minister’s visit also comes as the Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission nears completion of its work to carve out seven additional Assembly constituencies in J&K, bringing the total number of seats in the Assembly to 90. This sets the stage for Mr. Modi to sound the alarm for the long-awaited elections and provide a schedule for dealing with the demand for J&K’s restoration to statehood. International pressure has been relentless on India, notably from the US, to “restore democratic procedures in J&K.”
PM’s address will highlight the accomplishments of the Lieutenant Governor
According to official sources, the PM Modi’s address will highlight the accomplishments of the Lieutenant-(L-G) Governor’s government since August 5, 2019, particularly investments brought to the problematic region from local and international actors, including UAE investors (U.A.E.). Mr. Modi is set to meet with businessmen from the United Arab Emirates, the first foreign government to express an interest in investing about 3,000 crores in numerous development projects in the Union Territory.
In the presence of famous industrialists, L-G Manoj Sinha stated the Prime Minister will lead J&K into “a new age of development” by presiding over the ground-breaking ceremony for industrial development proposals worth Rs 38,082 crores. In addition to officially opening the Banihal-Qazigund tunnel, PM Modi will be inaugurating various power projects and laying the foundation stone for five expressways. He’ll also highlight Palli village as the country’s first carbon-neutral panchayat, entirely powered by solar energy, with all of its records digitized and full access to all Government of India social services.