PM Modi's 1st rally in Srinagar since abrogation of Art 370

In his first visit to Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil multiple development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore and address a public meeting in Srinagar on Thursday.

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Stringent security arrangements have been put in place to ensure an incident-free visit as Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the prime minister's rally," has been draped in tricolour, officials said.

Modi will attend the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir' programme at the stadium in Srinagar and inaugurate initiatives worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for boosting the agri-economy in the Union Territory, according to an official statement.

With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner and opposition parties seeking an announcement on assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister's scheduled visit has acquired a keen political dimension in terms of what he might have to say on the issue. The BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

In Srinagar, several schools falling along the route to be taken by the prime minister have been closed for Wednesday and Thursday while board examinations scheduled to be held on Thursday have been postponed till next month.