Pakistan attacked 'insaniyat and Kashmiriyat' in Pahalgam: Modi in J&K
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Pakistan over its open support for terrorists after he inaugurated several projects during his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the Pahalgam attack.
Addressing a crowd in Katra, he said Pakistan is against humanity and even the livelihood of the poor.
"Pakistan attacked both insaniyat and Kashmiriyat in Pahalgam. Its purpose was to cause riots in India and to obstruct the earnings of the hard-working people of Kashmir."
Modi
Pakistan attacked the tourists in Kashmir
"That is why Pakistan attacked the tourists in Kashmir...Pakistan targeted the tourism that earns the families of Kashmir a livelihood," he said.
He also hailed the completion of the long-pending Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) and Chenab and Anji bridges.
"The Chenab Bridge is even higher than the Eiffel Tower... The Chenab and Anji bridges are a living symbol of India's power on the inaccessible hills of Pir Panjal. Kashmir's apples will be able to reach the big markets," he said.
Bridge inauguration
Key structures unveiled by PM Modi
The USBRL, a 272-km-long railway line, connects Kashmir to India's national railway network.
The project, which cost around ₹43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels and 943 bridges.
Meanwhile, the Chenab Rail Bridge is the world's highest railway arch bridge, standing at 359 meters above the river. It is taller than the Eiffel Tower and built to withstand extreme weather conditions.
The Anji Khad Bridge is India's first cable-stayed rail bridge.
Project completion
USBRL project announced in 1994
PM Modi further said that with the rail link, Kashmir has now been connected to India's vast railway network.
"For years, we've spoken of 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' with reverence while describing Mata Bharti—today, that has become a railway reality," he added.
He credited the completion of the projects to the ruling NDA government, saying , "This was a challenging project to complete, but our government always chooses the path of challenging the challenge itself."
Train services
PM flags off Vande Bharat Express trains
PM Modi also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains between Baramulla and Katra.
He flagged off the train services from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) railway station in Jammu's Katra to Srinagar and another train from Srinagar to Katra.
The trains will run six days a week from June 7.
Twitter Post
Vande Bharat Express train connecting Katra and Srinagar
#WATCH | J&K: Vande Bharat Express train connecting Katra and Srinagar, crosses Chenab Bridge shortly after being flagged off by PM Narendra Modi from Katra Railway Station. pic.twitter.com/PLQPExDgF9
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2025