PM Modi to address rallies in Srinagar, Katra today

Will address public meetings at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar around noon, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra at 3 pm

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address election rallies in Srinagar and Katra on Thursday ahead of the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, scheduled for September 25.

He is slated to address a public rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar around noon, followed by another at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra at 3 pm.

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This will be the Prime Minister’s first election rally in the Valley for ongoing Assembly elections.

Earlier, he addressed a public meeting for the BJP in Jammu’s Doda on September 14.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said Modi’s visit to J&K would be a “game changer”.

Talking to reporters after he visited the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, Chugh said: “People of J&K love the Prime Minister. We have seen in the past whenever he has visited J&K, people in large numbers have welcomed him. Thursday’s visit of PM Modi will be a game changer, rather a milestone event for the people of J&K.”

The J&K Police have made foolproof security arrangements in coordination with the Special Protection Group (SPG) which is responsible for the security of the Prime Minister.

An SPG team had arrived in Srinagar four days ahead of Modi’s visit to coordinate with the UT authorities regarding the details for the protection of the VVIP protectee.

Located in the Ram Munshibagh area of Srinagar, the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium can accommodate a large number of people, who the BJP expects will come to listen to Modi.

The passage for participants at the venue in Srinagar will be regulated and police said some traffic diversions will also be made to make sure that the rally passes off smoothly.

“For the visit of the Prime Minister there is a detailed standard operating procedure (SoP) governing such a visit and we are following that to the minutest detail,” said police.

All high-rise buildings around the venue will be taken over by sharpshooters of the security forces and electronic surveillance will be augmented by human security to ensure foolproof security setup.

The Prime Minister’s visit comes a day after voting ends in the first phase of three-phased J&K Assembly elections.