PM Modi J&K visit highlights: Pakistan attacked ‘insaniyat', Kashimiriyat in Pahalgam, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (June 6, 2025) accused Pakistan of attacking 'insaniyat' and Kashmiriyat by targeting tourists in Pahalgam, saying the intent was to trigger communal clashes in India and rob Kashmiri people dependent on tourism of their livelihoods.
The Prime Minister was speaking after flagging off the first train service to the Kashmir Valley, and inaugurating several development projects, including the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river and India's first cable-stayed Anji bridge.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the two state-of-the-art bridges before flagging off the Vande Bharat train to mark the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link (USBRL), providing direct train connectivity to the valley.
He also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over ₹46,000 crore for Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district.
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Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
The Train to Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar on Friday. The inauguration of a direct rail link to the Valley is a historic milestone that is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the development, trade, and tourism of Kashmir, and its closer all-round integration with the rest of the country. A very long journey The first railway line in the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was built by the British in 1897 over a distance of 40-45 km between Jammu and Sialkot in the plains. In 1902 and 1905, a railway line was proposed between Rawalpindi and Srinagar along the course of the Jhelum, which would have connected the Kashmir Valley with the railway network of undivided India. But Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir was in favour of a Jammu-Srinagar line via Reasi, and neither project progressed. After Partition, Sialkot went to Pakistan, and Jammu was disconnected from the rail network of India. Until the inauguration of the Pathankot-Jammu line in 1975, the railway station nearest to Jammu and Kashmir was Pathankot in Punjab. In 1983, work began on a railway line between Jammu and Udhampur. This 53-km line was supposed to be completed in five years, but ultimately took 21 years. With work still underway, the central government announced, in 1994, the extension of this line from Udhampur to Srinagar, and onward to Baramulla. This was the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project, which was approved in March 1995 at an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore. In 2002, the USBRL was declared a national project, and sections of the line became operational over the years that followed. The USBRL is finally complete now —272 km of tracks built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore, passing through 36 tunnels and over 943 bridges, bringing Katra and Srinagar within 3 hours of each other. An engineering feat The Himalayas are young, and the geologically unstable Shivalik Hills and Pir Panjal mountains lie in the seismically most active Zones IV and V. The terrain is difficult and sees heavy snow in winter, and presented serious challenges in the construction of bridges and tunnels. Among the several firsts of this remarkable achievement of railway engineering are the world's highest railway arch bridge, its arch rising 359 metres above the bed of the Chenab in Reasi district; the first cable-stayed bridge of the Railways on the Anji Khad, also in Reasi district; and the country's longest transport tunnel, 12.77 km long, in Ramban district. Development benefits Two Vande Bharat trains in each direction will cover the distance between Katra and Srinagar in about three hours, halving the time taken by the road journey. The trains will run even in deep winter, providing round-the-year all-weather connectivity to the Valley. The train will be extended soon to Jammu Tawi, which will make it possible to roll into Srinagar directly from almost anywhere in the country. The potential of the train in revolutionising tourism in Jammu and Kashmir has been repeatedly stressed. Over time, the USBRL is expected to have a major impact on the economy of the Union Territory, facilitating hassle-free transport of goods such as apples, dry fruits, pashmina shawls, handicrafts etc., to other parts of the country in the shortest possible time and at lower costs. The cost of transporting items of daily use to the Valley from elsewhere in the country is also expected to go down significantly.
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Kashmiri man's death in Delhi: Parties seek probe
Amid allegations of foul play, the mysterious death of a Kashmir youth in Delhi earlier this week has triggered anger in the Valley with increasing demands from political parties for an impartial probe. Zubair Ahmad Bhat, 30, a resident of Ali Kadal in Srinagar, died in New Delhi under mysterious circumstances on Tuesday. His family has alleged that he had gone to Delhi for work and was assaulted in Delhi. People's Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti alleged that Bhat was subjected to custodial torture by Delhi Police. 'Zubair Ahmed Bhat didn't die under mysterious circumstances. Let me bite the bullet & state the unpleasant truth. His family claims he was picked up by Delhi Police, questioned & thrashed with rods. This 30 year old man was the sole breadwinner for his mother & siblings. When will this pattern of snuffing out the lives of innocent Kashmiris purely on suspicion end? We demand answers & accountability. @DelhiPolice @JmuKmrPolice,' Mufti wrote on X. She also met the family and said that his family members showed her the texts he had sent before death. She said: 'They showed me his last message, which said the police caught him and took his Aadhaar card. He messaged his sister and wrote, 'The police caught me because I am Kashmiri. They took my Aadhaar card, and then they beat me with sticks. I am in a hotel. May God have mercy. His family says he left Jammu for Delhi. After reaching Delhi, the police at one of the stations, I think it was Lajpat Nagar, caught Zubair, took his Aadhaar card, and beat him. The next day, when he went back to collect his Aadhaar card, they beat him again. And when he returned home, he died' is what happened to Zubair.' Congress leader and AICC chairman of media and publicity, Pawan Khera sought response of Delhi Police regarding Bhat's death. 'In the capital city, a young Kashmiri dies under mysterious circumstances and not a word of it gets discussed in mainstream media? If you don't question the authorities, obviously the authorities won't give you answers. @DelhiPolice needs to respond to questions surrounding the death of Zubair Ahmad Bhat,' he said on X. National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar sought an impartial probe. 'In this age of technology & smart policing, I fail to understand how a death could be termed mysterious. Clear the air around the death of Zubair Ahmad in Delhi @DelhiPolice. We demand an impartial, time bound probe into the incident,' Dar said. Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari said that the J&K administration should take up the matter with Delhi authorities. 'It is now the responsibility of the J&K administration to take up this matter with the authorities in Delhi to ensure that the truth behind his tragic death is fully uncovered,' Bukhari said.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"Long-pending project, demand ": JK Minister Satish Sharma on Chenab rail bridge
Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 7 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Minister Satish Sharma on Friday said that the railway bridge over the Chenab river, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a long-pending project and demand. The Minister said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are development-oriented and that the much-awaited project would boost tourism. Speaking to ANI about the Chenab rail bridge inauguration, Sharma said a day earlier, 'Today, the Kashmir valley has been connected with the rest of the nation. This was a long-pending project and demand. I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for making this possible.' 'The people of Jammu and Kashmir are development-oriented. The inauguration of the project will promote tourism, increase employment. Along with that, the produce, such as fruits, nuts, will be easy for deemed export to other parts of the country. It's a history in the making,' he said. On terrorism, Satish Sharma said, 'We have clarified our stance and have said that we believe in tourism, and they (Pakistan) believe in terrorism. These development projects are an answer to India's stand against terror.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the much-awaited and world's highest railway arch bridge over the river Chenab during his day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. The architectural marvel Chenab Rail Bridge, situated 359 metres above the river, is the world's highest railway arch bridge. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. A key impact of the bridge will be in enhancing connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. The Vande Bharat train moving on the bridge will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours. Speaking about the inauguration of the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, BJP leader Altaf Thakur said, 'The dream of Kashmiris has been fulfilled today. They had been waiting for this day for a very long time. The inauguration of Vande Bharat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will connect Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the nation. This will also give a massive boost to the economy of Kashmir as tourists will come to Jammu and Kashmir in large numbers.' On terrorism, Altaf Thakur said, 'On April 22, Pakistan attacked Pahalgam and killed 26 people, that was a huge move to try to paralyse Kashmir's tourism. After the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express, tourism will return to normalcy. Today, Kashmir is celebrating Eid-al-Adha and PM Modi has given a gift to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir. This marks a major milestone in Jammu and Kashmir's railway connectivity. Before flagging off the trains, Prime Minister Modi interacted with school children onboard and also spoke with railway staff members present on the train. The new Vande Bharat Express service will reduce the travel time between Katra and Srinagar from the current 6-7 hours by road to just about 3 hours. The trains aim to provide a fast, comfortable, and reliable travel option for residents, tourists, and pilgrims. The train will run through the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, which is the highest railway bridge in the world. These trains have been specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge - 'Chenab Railway Bridge' and India's first cable-stayed 'Anji Bridge' in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw were present during the inauguration. Before the inauguration of the bridge on the Chenab, the Prime Minister inspected the railway arch bridge. These bridges are part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project in Jammu and Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Railway Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, is part of the Katra-to-Sangaldan stretch, connecting New Delhi directly with Kashmir via Katra. Situated in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel standing at a height of 359 meters above the riverbed. It will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time in history. The project faced numerous engineering and logistical challenges due to the region's difficult terrain and seismic sensitivity. Yet, after years of meticulous work, the bridge now stands as a testament to India's technological prowess and commitment to inclusive development. It marks a transformative chapter in India's infrastructural landscape, promising greater connectivity, economic growth, and social integration in the region. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is 272 km long USBRL project, constructed worth around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration. (ANI)
