Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he will return to Jammu and Kashmir to inaugurate all the projects he laid foundations for, in an oblique reference to his party winning the next Lok Sabha elections.
"I have laid the foundation stone and I will be coming to inaugurate it," said Mr. Modi in Leh, where he laid foundation stone for the new airport terminal in the morning.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of five projects valuing around ₹3,000 crores in Leh. "Once Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line is completed, the distance from Delhi to Leh will be reduced. It will benefit the tourism sector," he said.
In his speech in Jammu, Mr. Modi reached out to West Pakistan refugees. "There are many children of Mother India who have faced oppression in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. We have suggested amendments to citizenship act as part of our pledge to stand with those who were earlier part of India and got separated due to the circumstances of 1947. We need to stand with those who are facing persecutions for their religious beliefs," said Mr. Modi in Jammu's Vijaypur.
The PM is likely to fly to Srinagar late in the afternoon and speak to recently-elected grassroots representatives during the panchayat elections.
Shutdown in Kashmir
Separatists’ shutdown call against Mr. Modi's visit impacted the normal life in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday. All shops remained close and traffic was off the roads.
The authorities snapped mobile internet services as a "part of security measures".
The police detained Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and shifted him to a police station.
Earlier, the authorities placed Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Geelani, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chairman Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and former MLA Langate Engineer Rasheed under house arrest.
Alert in Valley
A high alert has been sounded across the State to ward off any bid by militants to disrupt the situation.
CRPF spokesperson Sanjay Sharma said the security forces have increased night checks across Srinagar. “The security apparatus is ensuring that militants do not manage any sniper or improvised explosive devices attack on the occasion,” said Mr. Sharma.
An official said dozens of motorcycles were seized across the Valley on Saturday. The move comes days after a bike was used to trigger a grenade blast at Srinagar’s commercial hub Lal Chowk. Drones were also used in the capital to sanitize the vulnerable pockets in and round the venue of PM’s visit in Srinagar.
