SRINAGAR: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to address a significant election rally in Doda today, a region that has not seen a Prime Ministerial visit in over four decades, security concerns have heightened following two militancy-related incidents, one in neighbouring Kishtwar. The violence comes when the region braces for its first assembly elections in 10 years.
In Kishtwar, an encounter with militants led to the killing of two soldiers, identified as Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar of Rajouri, and Sepoy Arvind Singh of Himachal Pradesh. The gunfight erupted in the Pingnad Naidgham area within the Chatroo police station limits, during a cordon-and-search operation by a joint team of the Army and police.
Four soldiers were initially injured, of whom two later succumbed to their wounds—one from splinter injuries caused by a grenade explosion, and another from a bullet wound to the head.
“GOC White Knight Corps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of the bravehearts; offer deepest condolences to the families,” the army said in a statement. The injured soldiers, Sepoy Musadiq Shafiq and Sepoy Shail Thakur were airlifted for further treatment following initial medical aid at a local hospital. The operation remains ongoing as security forces continue to engage with the militants.
Meanwhile, in the Pattan belt of North Kashmir, another encounter saw the killing of three militants, heightening the already tense atmosphere ahead of the major visit, though to a far-off district. The militants were trapped inside a school building in Chak Tappar, triggering an intense gunfight after a joint team of the Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police surrounded the area based on credible intelligence. Security operations are still ongoing as forces continue to sweep the area.
The Prime Minister’s rally in Doda holds immense political significance, marking the first visit by any Prime Minister to the district in 42 years. The last prime ministerial visit to Doda was in 1982.
The rally is part of the BJP’s extensive campaign trail for the upcoming assembly elections, with eight constituencies in the Chenab Valley region—Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban—set to vote in the first phase on September 18. BJP leaders hope Modi’s visit will boost their prospects in a region where the party already has a stronghold, having won 25 seats in the Jammu division during the 2014 assembly elections.
BJP candidates from the Doda region, including Gajay Singh Rana, Shakti Parihar, and Daleep Parihar, as well as those from Kishtwar and Ramban, are expected to be present at the rally, alongside senior party figures such as Dr Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.
With heightened security concerns, a multi-tier security grid has been deployed across both Doda and Kishtwar districts to ensure the smooth conduct of the rally. Modi’s visit is seen as a critical moment for the BJP facing crisis and a sort of anti-incumbency.
The upcoming elections, scheduled in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, mark the first since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019.
Following his rally in Doda, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address further rallies across Jammu and Kashmir, including in Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra on September 19, and in Jammu and Kathua on September 26. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address two crucial rallies in Kishtwar on September 16, the final day of campaigning for the first phase.
