New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has reportedly directed around 7,000 employees to attend a rally in Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to make an address on Thursday (March 7).The rally will be Modi’s first in Srinagar in nine years and it will also mark the beginning of the saffron party’s campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Kashmir for which the BJP has not yet announced its candidates.In what seems to be an attempt to project widespread support in Kashmir for the BJP-led central government’s decision to scrap Article 370, the administration has ordered the employees from 13 departments including education, sports, agriculture, social welfare, rural development and others to attend the PM’s rally.Schools roped inThe administration, which is run directly by the central government, has reportedly ordered private schools in Srinagar to ferry these employees in their buses to the Bakshi Stadium while the food safety department in Srinagar has been directed to “ensure the presence of representatives from 62 bakery shops” at the venue.“All Departmental/Sectoral Nodal Officers shall strictly ensure that vehicles allotted to their respective sectors shall only be utilised at respective identified pickup locations, keeping in view of the security measures. No alteration shall be entertained in the list of participants, Vehicle Nodal Persons, allotted vehicles etc.,” an official circular, quoted by The Hindu, reads.According to reports, security agencies have been ordered to run a background check and find out whether the employees, who have been directed to attend Modi’s rally, have any links with separatists groups or militant outfits.A local news gatherer reported that more than 100 hotels, lodges and guest houses in Srinagar have been “booked in advance” a day ahead of the rally by the saffron party to ensure smooth transportation of their workers and others towards the venue. “To ferry workers and common citizens from districts, over 1000 vehicles have been hired,” a source in the BJP told the Srinagar-based news gatherer.CongratulationsAhead of Modi’s visit, the Union home ministry released a series of self-congratulatory posts on X, formerly Twitter, stating that the reading down of Article 370 had helped in creating “peaceful and prosperous” Jammu and Kashmir.“There has been a 100 percent drop in stone pelting incidents. Not a single incident of stone pelting was reported in 2023. Civilian deaths are down by 81 percent. Terror incidents by 69 percent. Killings of security personnel have decreased by 47 percent,” the Home Ministry said.जम्मू-कश्मीर के लोगों की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करना पीएम श्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में सरकार की सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता, अनुच्छेद 370 को निरस्त करने व आतंकवाद के खिलाफ जीरो टॉलरेंस की नीति से वहां एक सुरक्षित व शांतिपूर्ण माहौल बनाने में मदद मिली है। (1/2)@HMOIndia @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/Kn4yFUauHT— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) March 4, 2024In Srinagar, the BJP’s J&K president Ravinder Raina said on Monday that “more than two lakh people” are expected to turn up for the rally which will be the PM’s first in Kashmir after J&K was stripped of its special status and downgraded into two union territories.However, the Bakshi Stadium reportedly has a capacity of only 18000 seats with a provision for accommodating about 10000 people on the ground. “The stadium can accommodate around 30,000 people,” The Telegraph reported, raising doubts about the J&K BJP chief’s claims.Kashmir-based mainstream parties such as the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have been demanding that the central government restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and hold assembly elections which are due for nearly six years.However, Modi is expected to focus his speech in Kashmir on the development initiatives and the massive infrastructure push being given by the central government to change the economic landscape of Jammu and Kashmir after August 5, 2019.Modi is also reportedly expected to interact with the beneficiaries of various government schemes, hand over letters of appointment to some youth and announce new projects for Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, a senior politician from the Valley is expected to join the rally in Srinagar.Security and flagsAhead of the rally, security measures have been stepped up across Srinagar city to prevent any untoward incident. Witnesses said that the roads leading to the venue from Srinagar airport have been secured by police and paramilitary forces. The saffron party has also mobilised its leaders and workers in Kashmir to make the event a “grand success”.The BJP’s J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that the party was going to install 10,000 BJP flags across Srinagar city, “All crossings and entry/exit points in Srinagar will be covered by the BJP flags and banners because the world’s most popular leader and our torchbearer PM Modi is going to address the rally. Not just the workers but our leaders also are on the road to welcome the PM,” he said.Last month, Modi addressed a rally in Jammu where he inaugurated developmental initiatives worth over Rs 32,000 crore. The party has renominated its two sitting Lok Sabha MPs – Jitendra Singh, who is also a Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, and Jugal Kishore – as its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections from Udhampur and Jammu seats respectively.
