This is his first visit to the valley after the Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday marked the occasion of Diwali with soldiers of the Indian Army posted near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.
News agency ANI posted photos on social media. "Jammu and Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated #Diwali in Rajouri district with Army personnel, today," the agency posted on Twitter.
Jammu and Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated #Diwali in Rajouri district with Army personnel, today. pic.twitter.com/PyQZeQO2L1
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2019
Later, the Prime Minister himself posted from his official handle on Twitter, "#Diwali is sweeter when celebrated with our brave soldiers."
#Diwali is sweeter when celebrated with our brave soldiers. pic.twitter.com/skO2SfcwJ3
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2019
The Prime Minister also distributed sweets among the security forces, marking yet another year of celebrating the occasion with the armed forces of the country.
1. PM Modi with the valiant troops
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Rajouri district to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Diwali with the army troops guarding the Line of Control. Modi distributed sweets to the soldiers to mark the festive celebrations.
Celebrated #Diwali with the brave soldiers of the Indian Army in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2019
It is always a matter of great joy to be able to interact with these courageous personnel. pic.twitter.com/e9th01wwiy
The PM arrived in Rajouri in the afternoon on Sunday after directly flying to the Army Brigade Headquarters in the border district to interact with the troops deployed along the LoC, the officials said.
This is his first visit to the valley after the Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5.
2. "Vigilance and valour keeps our nation safe"
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The visit coincided with Infantry Day celebrations, which is observed to mark the landing of first Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 to push back Pakistan supported intruders.
While interacting with our soldiers, I thanked them on behalf of the people of India for their monumental service. Their vigilance and valour keeps our nation safe!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2019
I also spoke about the major steps our Government is taking for the welfare of soldiers. pic.twitter.com/wG4yPn43Tg
This is the third time that PM Modi has visited Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate Diwali with the soldiers. Over the past few years, Modi has celebrated the festival with soldiers in places such as Siachen, the Indo-Pak border in Punjab, Gurez in Kashmir and the Indo-China borders in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
In 2014, after he became the Prime Minister of India, Modi went to Siachen, the world's highest battleground, to celebrate Diwali with the Jawans.
3. Diwali greetings
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Before flying to Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate the festival of lights, Modi tweeted his Diwali greetings in the morning.
“May this auspicious festival brighten your lives with prosperity and good health and may there be happiness all around,” Modi said in a tweet.
देशवासियों को दीपावली के पावन अवसर पर बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं। रोशनी का यह उत्सव हम सभी के जीवन में नया प्रकाश लेकर आए और हमारा देश सदा सुख, समृद्धि और सौभाग्य से आलोकित रहे।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2019
Wishing you all a Happy #Diwali. pic.twitter.com/5nhimk58CO
In the morning, Modi also addressed the 58th episode of 'Mann ki Baat' which is broadcasted on the last Sunday of every month. Remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ahead of his birth anniversary, he said that the country will always be grateful for his contributions.
4. Anecdotes about the soldiers' lives
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Reminding the nation of the significance of the October 31, birth anniversary of Iron Man of India, Modi said, "Sardar Patel possessed the rare quality of uniting people and was able to strike a balance with people who were not in ideological agreement with him."
Anecdotes about the courage of our soldiers are widely shared but do you also know about the stupendous efforts of our armed forces during natural disasters? Their swift action saves many lives and prevents public property from being destroyed. pic.twitter.com/yKRm6dMUwI
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2019
"We all know about Sardar Patel’s efforts towards unifying some of the bigger places such as Hyderabad and Junagadh. But, do you know such was the man that he also focused on smaller places like Lakshadweep," he added.
