New Delhi: Atal Behari Vajpayee will be the first Prime Minister to address a
public rally in Srinagar since the advent of militancy in 1989 when he begins his
two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on April 18.
The Prime Minister, who would be addressing a rally at Sher-e-Kashmir grounds, would
be sharing the dais with state Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed much to the
displeasure of its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition partner National
Conference (NC) who seem to be upset with sharing the stage with a Congress-backed
coalition in the state.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a public rally at Qazigund where he
would be reviewing work on prestigious National Highway Development project.
Vajpayee's public meetings come 15 years after the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
had addressed a public meeting in the Kashmir Valley in 1987.
Ironically, all Prime Minister's and important political leaders had stayed away
from addressing any public meeting in the state till last year when Congress
President and leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi addressed an election rally in
Srinagar.
Among other engagements, the Prime Minister would be laying a foundation stone for
expansion of Srinagar Airport, which would be completed at a cost of Rs 45 crore.
He would also be attending convocation of Kashmir University.
PTI
