PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said preparations for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir have begun and the Union Territory will get back its statehood too. Addressing an event after laying foundation stone and inaugurating 84 developmental projects worth Rs 1,500 crore in Srinagar, Modi also said the Central Government has taken the recent terror attacks in the Union territory very seriously and the enemies of Jammu and Kashmir will be given a befitting reply.

 

He also praised the youths of Jammu and Kashmir for the high turnout in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls and said they have ensured victory of democracy. Modi said the wall of the Article 370, which was scrapped in August 2019, collapsed and fruits of Indian Constitution ensured in Jammu and Kashmir. “Today the Indian Constitution has truly been implemented in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. The Prime Minister said today the forces inimical to peace and development are making last ditch efforts to stop the progress of Jammu and Kashmir. “The Centre has taken the recent terror attacks very seriously. The Home Minister held a meeting and reviewed the entire mechanism. I want to assure that we will leave no stone unturned to punish the enemies of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Modi assured the people that permanent peace will be established in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi on Thursday embarked on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

 

He will participate in the International Yoga Day on Friday. This is Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to J&K after taking charge at the Centre for the third term. “On 21st June, around 6.30 am, the Prime Minister will participate in the 10th International Day of Yoga event at SKICC in Srinagar. The Prime Minister will address the gathering on the occasion and take part in the CYP Yoga session thereafter,” an official handout from the Press Information Bureau said. Stringent multi-layer security arrangements have been put in place for the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to Kashmir. More than 7,000 participants will join him in performing yoga on Friday on the banks of picturesque Dal Lake, officials said. The participants have been trained over the past three days in the yoga ‘Asanas’ to be performed by the prime minister, the officials said. Security forces personnel have been deployed in strength across the Srinagar city to ensure that the prime minister’s visit passes off peacefully, they said.

 

The roads leading to SKICC have been sealed, they said. The sanitisation operation at the SKICC was concluded on Tuesday and the background security check of all officials of the SKICC, security personnel and others on duty, and the sportspersons who will attend has been conducted, they said. As part of the security measures, the Srinagar Police declared the city a ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for the operation of drones and quadcopters.

 

“Srinagar city has been declared as ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for the operation of drones and quadcopters as per provisions of Rule 24(2) of Drone Rules, 2021 with immediate effect,” the Srinagar Police said on X on June 18. All unauthorised drone operations in the “red zone” are liable to being penalised according to provisions of the drone rules, the police said. Ahead of the main function on Friday, a series of yoga events have been held over the past three days at many places in the city and elsewhere in the valley, the officials said. A yoga event was held near the iconic clock tower at the Lal Chowk city centre here while a mega yoga camp was held at Polo Ground on Wednesday, they said. Another event was also held at the SKICC here, the officials said, adding similar events were held at many places in the Valley to mark the celebrations for the 10th IYD.