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PM Modi To Begin 5-State Tour Today, To Launch Projects Worth Rs 1,10,600 Crore

Pm modi 5-state tour: pm narendra modi will visit telangana, tamil nadu, odisha, west bengal and bihar between march 4 and march 6..

PM Modi's 5-state tour will begin from Telangana (File photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar on March 4-6 during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 1,10,600 crore.

"Over the next two days, I will be attending various programmes in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and West Bengal. The development works which will be inaugurated cover a wide range of sectors and will transform several lives," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Over the next two days, I will be attending various programmes in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and West Bengal. The development works which will be inaugurated cover a wide range of sectors and will transform several lives. https://t.co/dNp6tLs26e — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2024

On March 4, at around 10:30 am, the prime minister will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 56,000 crore in Adilabad, Telangana, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

Thereafter, at around 3:30 pm, PM Modi will visit BHAVINI in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

On March 5, at around 11 am, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 6,800 crore in Sangareddy, Telangana.

At around 3:30 pm, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore at Chandikhole, Jajpur in Odisha.

On March 6, at around 10:15 am, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple connectivity projects worth Rs 15,400 crore in Kolkata.

Thereafter, the prime minister will visit Bettiah in Bihar at around 3:30 pm, where he will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth around Rs 12,800 crore.

At the public programme in Adilabad, Telangana, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects related to power, rail and road sector worth more than Rs 56,000 crore. The major focus of the projects will be the power sector, the PMO said.

PM Modi will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of various projects related to the power sector across the country.

He will dedicate NTPC's 800 MW (Unit-2) of Telangana Super Thermal Power Project in Peddapalli.

Based on Ultra-Supercritical Technology, the project will supply 85 per cent power to Telangana and will have the highest power generation efficiency of approximately 42 per cent among all power stations of NTPC in India. The foundation stone of the project was also laid by the prime minister.

PM Modi will also dedicate 660 MW (Unit-2) of North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project in Chatra, Jharkhand.

This is the country's first Supercritical Thermal Power Project conceived with an air-cooled condenser of such large magnitude which reduces water consumption to one-third in comparison to conventional water-cooled condensers.

The commencement of work in this project was flagged off by PM Modi.

The prime minister will also dedicate the Fly Ash Based Light Weight Aggregate Plant at Sipat, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and STP Water to Green Hydrogen Plant at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

Further, he will lay the foundation stone of Singrauli Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-III (2x800 MW) in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh; Flue Gas CO2 to 4G Ethanol Plant at Lara, Raigarh in Chhattisgarh; Sea Water to Green Hydrogen plant at Simhadri, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; and Fly Ash Based FALG Aggregate Plant at Korba in Chhattisgarh.

PM Modi will inaugurate seven projects and also lay the foundation stone of one project of Power Grid Corporation of India. These projects will play a crucial role in strengthening the National Grid, the PMO said.

The prime minister will also inaugurate National Hydroelectric Power Corporation's (NHPC's) 380 MW solar project at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Around 792 million units of green power will be generated each year from the project.

PM Modi will lay the foundation of Bundelkhand Saur Urja Limited's 1,200 MW Jalaun Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh. The park will generate about 2,400 million units of electricity every year.

The prime minister will inaugurate three solar power projects of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) in Jalaun and Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh. These projects have a total capacity of 200 MW.

Foundation stone of these projects was also laid by PM Modi.

He will inaugurate Naitwar Mori hydro power station along with associated transmission line in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.

Among other projects, Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of two solar projects of SJVN in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh & Dhubri, Assam.

In addition to the power sector, projects of the road and rail sector will also be taken up during the visit.

The prime minister will dedicate the newly electrified Ambari-Adilabad-Pimpalkhuti rail line to the nation.

He will also lay the foundation for two major national highway projects connecting Telangana with Maharashtra, and Telangana with Chhattisgarh through NH-353B and NH-163.

In Sangareddy, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 6,800 crore.

These projects encompass multiple key sectors like road, rail, petroleum and natural gas.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for three national highway projects.

During the programme, he will also inaugurate doubling and electrification of Sanathnagar - Moula Ali rail line along with six new station buildings.

The entire 22-km route of the project has been commissioned with automatic signalling and has been completed as part of the MMTS (Multi Modal Transport Service) Phase-II project.

As part of it, six new station buildings have come up at Ferozguda, Suchitra Centre, Bhudevi Nagar, Ammuguda, Neredmet and Moula Ali Housing Board stations.

PM Modi will also flag off the inaugural MMTS Train Service from Ghatkesar-Lingampalli via Moula Ali-Sanathnagar. This train service extends the popular suburban train service in the Hyderabad-Secunderabad twin city regions to new areas for the first time.

Further, the prime minister will inaugurate the Indian Oil Paradip-Hyderabad Product Pipeline. He will also inaugurate the Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) centre in Hyderabad. It has been set up at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad by Airports Authority of India to upgrade and enhance the research and development activities in the civil aviation sector.

In Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, marking a historic milestone in India's nuclear power programme, PM Modi will witness the initiation of core loading of India's indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) of 500 MWe capacity. This PFBR has been developed by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited).

The reactor core consists of control subassemblies, blanket subassemblies and fuel subassemblies. The core loading activity consists of loading of reactor control subassemblies, followed by the blanket subassemblies and the fuel sub-assemblies which will generate power.

In Chandikhole, Odisha, the prime minister will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore. The projects relate to sectors including oil & gas, railways, road, and atomic energy.

In Kolkata, with a focus on enhancing avenues for ensuring ease of urban mobility, PM Modi will inaugurate Kolkata Metro's Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Metro section, Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Metro section, Taratala-Majerhat Metro section (part of Joka-Esplanade line); Pune Metro from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch; Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension project (Phase IB) from SN Junction Metro station to Tripunithura Metro station; Agra Metro's stretch from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar; and Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor.

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He will flag off train services on these sections. Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of extension of Pune Metro Rail project phase 1 between Pimpri Chinchwad Metro-Nigdi. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) centre in Hyderabad.

It has been set up at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad by the Airports Authority of India to upgrade and enhance the Research and Development (R&D) activities in the civil aviation sector.

It is envisaged to provide a global research platform for the aviation community through in-house and collaborative research to provide indigenous and innovative solutions. Built at a cost of more than ₹ 350 crores, this state-of-the-art facility is compliant with 5-STAR-GRIHA Rating and Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) norms.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik on his birth anniversary, and said his visionary leadership and indomitable spirit continue to inspire generations.

Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha’s Chandikhole in Jajpur district later in the day to unveil development projects worth over ₹ 19,600 crore. Modi is slated to address a rally of the BJP in Jajpur, considered a stronghold of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over ₹ 19,600 crore at Chandikhole in Odisha on March 5, amid swirling rumours of a possible electoral alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

PM Modi visit LIVE Updates: All about IndianOil Paradip-Hyderabad Product Pipeline

PM Modi will also inaugurate the IndianOil Paradip-Hyderabad Product Pipeline. The 1,212-km product pipeline with a capacity of 4.5 MMTPA traverses through the states of Odisha (329 km), Andhra Pradesh (723 km) and Telangana (160 km).

The pipeline shall ensure safe and economical transportation of petroleum product from Paradip Refinery to delivery stations at Visakhapatnam, Atchutapuram, and Vijayawada (in Andhra Pradesh), and Malkapur near Hyderabad (in Telangana).

PM Modi visit LIVE Updates: PM to inaugurate and lay the foundation for three National Highway projects

PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation for three National Highway projects.

Further, he will lay the foundation stone for the six-laning of the 29 km long Pune-Hyderabad Section of NH-65. The project will also provide improved connectivity to major industrial centres in Telangana like Pashamylaram industrial area near Patancheru.

During the programme, the PM will inaugurate doubling and electrification of Sanathnagar-Moula Ali rail line along with six new station buildings.

PM Modi visit LIVE Updates: All about Civil Aviation Research Organisation (CARO)

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PM Modi visit LIVE Updates: PM Modi's Telangana schedule today

PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation for development projects worth more than ₹ 6,800 crore, related to multiple key sectors such as road, rail, petroleum and natural gas, followed by a public address in Telangana's Sangareddy. Later he will inaugurate the Civil Aviation Research Organisation (CARO) centre in Hyderabad, which has been built at a cost of over ₹ 350 crore. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation for three National Highway projects. During the programme, PM will flag off the inaugural MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport Service) Train Service from Ghatkesar-Lingampalli, and inaugurate the IndianOil Paradip-Hyderabad Product Pipeline.

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Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy told reporters that PM Modi will visit Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad, Telangana and offer prayers in the morning.

PM Modi visit LIVE Updates: PM Modi to launch projects worth ₹6,800 Cr in Telangana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation for development projects worth more than ₹ 6,800 crore and also address a rally on Tuesday at Sangareddy, about 60 km from here.

The projects are related to multiple key sectors such as road, rail, petroleum and natural gas, an official release had earlier said.

PM Modi visit LIVE Updates: PM Modi to dedicate projects worth ₹19600 Cr in Odisha on March 5

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over ₹ 19,600 crore at Chandikhole in Odisha on March 5, amid swirling rumours of a possible electoral alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Read more

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PM Modi to visit Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra on Feb 27-28: Here is the full schedule

Pm modi will visit vikram sarabhai space centre in kerala's thiruvananthapuram and inaugurate three important space infrastructure projects worth about rs 1,800 crore and review the progress of 'gaganyaan'..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day tour of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra on February 27 and 28, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 24,000 crore.

Here is the full schedule of his tri-state tour:

February 27.

10.45 am: Modi will visit Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram.

Three important space infrastructure projects will be inaugurated at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, including the PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, which will help in boosting the frequency of PSLV launches from 6 to 15 per year; new ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri, which will increase the payload capability of the present launch vehicles; and ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, which will serve future technology development needs. These three projects providing world-class technical facilities for the space sector have been developed at a cumulative cost of about Rs 1,800 crore.

Further, the Prime Minister will also review the progress of India’s first human space flight program Gaganyaan Mission and bestow ‘astronaut wings’ to the astronaut-designates.

Modi will also address a public meeting in the city. “Kerala is tired of UDF and LDF and the people of this great state are all set to support the BJP in a big way,” Modi wrote ahead of his visit.

Afternoon: Modi will address a public meeting in Tiruppur. “Over the last few months, it has become crystal clear that Tamil Nadu is supporting the NDA in a great way and the Lok Sabha results will also reflect that!” he wrote ahead of the visit.

5.15 pm: The Prime Minister will participate in the programme ‘Creating the Future – Digital Mobility for Automotive MSME Entrepreneurs’ in Madurai.

He will address thousands of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSME) entrepreneurs working in the automotive sector. Modi will also launch two major initiatives designed to support and uplift MSMEs in the Indian automotive industry. The initiatives include the TVS Open Mobility Platform and the TVS Mobility-CII Centre of Excellence.

These initiatives will be a step towards supporting the growth of MSMEs in the country and helping them to formalise operations, integrate with global value chains and become self-reliant.

February 28

9.45 am: Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 17,300 crore at Thoothukudi.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of Outer Harbor Container Terminal at V.O.Chidambaranar Port, a project which aims to leverage India’s long coastline and favourable geographic location, and strengthen India’s competitiveness in the global trade arena.

Other projects will aim at making the V.O.Chidambaranar Port the first Green Hydrogen Hub Port of the country. These projects include desalination plant, hydrogen production and bunkering facility etc.

Prime Minister will also launch India’s first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel under Harit Nauka initiative. The vessel is manufactured by Cochin Shipyard and is a step towards embracing clean energy solutions and aligning with the nation’s net-zero commitments.

Prime Minister will also dedicate tourist facilities in 75 lighthouses across ten States/UTs during the programme.

Prime Minister Modi will dedicate to nation rail projects for doubling of Vanchi Maniyachchi – Nagercoil rail line including the Vanchi Maniyachchi – Tirunelveli section and Melappalayam – Aralvaymoli section. Developed at the cost of about Rs 1,477 crore, the doubling project will help in reducing travel time for the trains heading towards Chennai from Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Tirunelveli.

Prime Minister will also dedicate four road projects in Tamil Nadu, developed at a total cost of about Rs 4,586 crore. These projects include the four-laning of the Jittandahalli-Dharmapuri section of NH-844, two-laning with paved shoulders of the Meensurutti-Chidambaram section of NH-81, four-laning of the Oddanchatram-Madathukulam section of NH-83, and two-laning with paved shoulders of the Nagapattinam-Thanjavur section of NH-83. These projects aim to improve connectivity, reduce travel time, enhance socio-economic growth and facilitate pilgrimage visits in the region.

He is also slated to address a public meeting in Tirunelveli.

• Maharashtra

4.30 pm: Modi will participate in a public programme in Yavatmal, and inaugurate and dedicate to nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 4900 crore. He will also release benefits under PM KISAN and other schemes during the programme.

Further, the 16th instalment amount of more than Rs 21,000 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), will be released, through direct benefits transfer to beneficiaries.

The Prime Minister will also disburse the second and third instalments of ‘Namo Shetkari MahaSanman Nidhi’, worth about Rs 3,800 crore and benefiting about 88 lakh beneficiary farmers across Maharashtra. The scheme provides an additional amount of Rs 6,000 per year to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Maharashtra. Rs 825 crore of Revolving Fund to 5.5 lakh women Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be disbursed across Maharashtra.

Prime Minister will initiate distribution of one crore Ayushman cards and will also launch the Modi Awaas Gharkul Yojana for OBC category beneficiaries.

Prime Minister will dedicate to nation multiple irrigation projects benefiting Marathwada and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, developed at a cumulative cost of more than Rs 2,750 crore under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY) and Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana (BJSY).

Prime Minister will also inaugurate multiple rail projects worth more than Rs 1,300 crore, to improve connectivity of the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions and boost socio-economic development. In addition, several projects for strengthening the road sector and the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay in Yavatmal will be inaugurated.

• Narendra Modi

The MPBSE Board will declare the Class 10 and 12 results on April 24, 2024. Students can check their results on the official websites or through the MPBSE mobile app. The exams were held in pen-paper mode in 7,500 centers across the state. In 2023, the toppers were awarded e-Scooty and laptops. Last year, the overall pass percentage was 55.28%.

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PM’s Visits

Pm’s visit to bhutan (mar 22, 2024 - mar 23, 2024 ), pm’s visit to uae & qatar (feb 13, 2024 - feb 15, 2024 ), pm’s visit to dubai (nov 30, 2023 - dec 01, 2023 ), pm’s visit to indonesia (sep 06, 2023 - sep 07, 2023 ), pm’s visit to south africa & greece (aug 22, 2023 - aug 26, 2023 ), pm’s visit to france & uae (jul 13, 2023 - jul 15, 2023 ), pm’s visit to usa & egypt (jun 20, 2023 - jun 25, 2023 ), pm’s visit to japan, papua new guinea & australia (may 19, 2023 - may 25, 2023 ), pm’s visit to indonesia (nov 14, 2022 - nov 16, 2022 ), pm’s visit to japan (sep 27, 2022 - sep 27, 2022 ).

"THE NEXT JACKIE MASON"

Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit’s most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, Modi also headlines around the country and across the globe. 

Modi has played himself on HBO's  Crashing  and Netflix's  When Jews Were Funny . He's also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two:  Waiting for Woody Allen , which won the LA Film Festival, and  Stand Up , a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio  declared June 26th ' Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day '  in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community.

"MODI is imparting to audiences the importance of working together to bring light into the world."

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Why Did Modi Call India’s Muslims ‘Infiltrators’? Because He Could.

The brazenness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vilification of India’s largest minority group made clear he sees few checks at home or abroad on his power.

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Modi Calls Muslims ‘Infiltrators’ in Speech During India Elections

Prime minister narendra modi of india was criticized by the opposition for remarks he made during a speech to voters in rajasthan state..

I’m sorry, this is a very disgraceful speech made by the prime minister. But, you know, the fact is that people realize that when he says the Congress Party is going to take all your wealth and give it to the Muslims, that this is just a nakedly communal appeal which normally any civilized election commission would disallow and warn the candidate for speaking like this.

By Mujib Mashal

Reporting from New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his power at home secured and his Hindu-first vision deeply entrenched, has set his sights in recent years on a role as a global statesman , riding India’s economic and diplomatic rise. In doing so, he has distanced himself from his party’s staple work of polarizing India’s diverse population along religious lines for its own electoral gain.

His silence provided tacit backing as vigilante groups continued to target non-Hindu minority groups and as members of his party routinely used hateful and racist language , even in Parliament, against the largest of those groups, India’s 200 million Muslims. With the pot kept boiling, Mr. Modi’s subtle dog whistles — with references to Muslim dress or burial places — could go a long way domestically while providing enough deniability to ensure that red carpets remained rolled out abroad for the man leading the world’s largest democracy.

Just what drove the prime minister to break with this calculated pattern in a fiery campaign speech on Sunday — when he referred to Muslims by name as “infiltrators” with “more children” who would get India’s wealth if his opponents took power — has been hotly debated. It could be a sign of anxiety that his standing with voters is not as firm as believed, analysts said. Or it could be just a reflexive expression of the kind of divisive religious ideology that has fueled his politics from the start.

But the brazenness made clear that Mr. Modi sees few checks on his enormous power. At home, watchdog institutions have been largely bent to the will of his Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P. Abroad, partners increasingly turn a blind eye to what Mr. Modi is doing in India as they embrace the country as a democratic counterweight to China.

“Modi is one of the world’s most skilled and experienced politicians,” said Daniel Markey, a senior adviser in the South Asia program at the United States Institute of Peace. “He would not have made these comments unless he believed he could get away with it.”

Mr. Modi may have been trying to demonstrate this impunity, Mr. Markey said, “to intimidate the B.J.P.’s political opponents and to show them — and their supporters — just how little they can do in response.”

The prime minister sees himself as the builder of a new, modern India on the march toward development and international respect. But he also wants to leave a legacy that is distinctly different from that of the leaders who founded the country as a secular republic after British colonial rule.

Before joining its political offshoot, he spent more than a decade as a cultural foot soldier of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or R.S.S., a right-wing organization founded in 1925 with the mission of making India a Hindu state. The group viewed it as treason when an independent India agreed to a partition that created Pakistan as a separate nation for Muslims, embraced secularism and gave all citizens equal rights. A onetime member went so far as to assassinate Mohandas K. Gandhi in outrage.

Over his decade in national power, Mr. Modi has been deeply effective in advancing some of the central items of the Hindu-right agenda. He abolished the semi-autonomy of the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir. He enacted a citizenship law widely viewed as prejudiced against Muslims. And he helped see through the construction of a grand temple to the Hindu deity Ram on a plot long disputed between Hindus and Muslims.

The violent razing in 1992 of the mosque that had stood on that land — which Hindu groups said was built on the plot of a previous temple — was central to the national movement of Hindu assertiveness that ultimately swept Mr. Modi to power more than two decades later.

More profoundly, Mr. Modi has shown that the broader goals of a Hindu state can largely be achieved within the bounds of India’s constitution — by co-opting the institutions meant to protect equality.

Officials in his party have a ready rebuttal to any complaint along these lines. How could Mr. Modi discriminate against anyone, they say, if all Indian citizens benefit equally from his government’s robust welfare offerings — of toilets, of roofs over heads, of monthly rations?

That argument, analysts say, is telling in showing how Mr. Modi has redefined democratic power not as leadership within checks and balances, but as the broad generosity of a strongman, even as he has redefined citizenship in practice to make clear there is a second class.

Secularism — the idea that no religion will be favored over any other — has largely been co-opted to mean that no religion will be allowed to deny Hindus their dominance as the country’s majority, his critics say. Officials under Mr. Modi, who wear their religion on their sleeves and publicly mix prayer with politics, crack down on public expressions of other religions as breaching India’s secularism.

While right-wing officials promote conversion to Hinduism, which they describe as a “return home,” they have introduced laws within many of the states they govern that criminalize conversion from Hinduism. Egged on by such leaders, Hindu extremists have lynched Muslim men accused of transporting cows or beef and hounded them over charges of “love jihad” — or luring Hindu women. Vigilantes have frequently barged into churches and accosted priests they believe have engaged in proselytizing or conversion.

“What they have done is to create a permissive environment which encourages hate and valorizes hate,” said Harsh Mander, a former civil servant who is now a campaigner for social harmony.

In reference to Mr. Modi’s speech on Sunday, he added: “This open resort to this kind of hate speech will only encourage that hard-line Hindu right in society.”

Tom Vadakkan, a spokesman for the B.J.P., said the prime minister’s comments on Muslims had been misinterpreted. Mr. Modi, Mr. Vadakkan said, was referring to “intruders” or “illegal migrants” who the party claims are being used by the political opposition to “redefine the demography.”

Privately, Western diplomats in New Delhi do little to hide their discomfort with some of Mr. Modi actions as a democratic ally, from the targeting of minorities to his crackdowns on opposition and dissent. But they acknowledge that he is exploiting a particularly open season in the global order, with many of their own capitals providing a less positive example than they once did, and with so much focus on China and trade deals.

Mr. Markey, the Washington-based analyst, said the U.S. government was holding back from voicing concerns publicly for several reasons beyond its national interest in having India serve as an economic and geopolitical counterweight to China.

The United States, he said, realizes the growing limits of its public criticism in changing partner nations’ behavior. That was demonstrated most recently by the repeated instances in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel ignored President Biden’s demands that the Israeli military change its conduct within the war in Gaza.

Criticism of Mr. Modi, Mr. Markey added, could also backfire for U.S. politicians who “do not want to get crosswise with Indian diaspora groups.”

But Mr. Modi may not remain immune as he pursues closer partnerships with the United States in areas like joint weapons manufacturing, transfer of high technology and sharing of intelligence.

“My sense is that Washington’s increasing discomfort with Modi’s domestic politics is gradually lowering the ceiling of potential U.S. cooperation with India,” Mr. Markey said. “The question is just how far Washington is willing to trust India. Will India be treated as an ally in everything but name, or as a partner more like Vietnam or Saudi Arabia?”

Hari Kumar contributed reporting.

Mujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau chief for The Times, helping to lead coverage of India and the diverse region around it, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. More about Mujib Mashal

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Modi visits Kashmir’s main city for the first time since revoking region’s semi-autonomy

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region of semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at a public rally at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Modi on Thursday made his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region of semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. (AP Photo)

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A paramilitary soldier guards near a billboard ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Modi on Thursday made his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region of semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. (AP Photo)

A woman walk past India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party flags displayed ahead of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Paramilitary soldiers guard near a billboard ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

People attend a rally addressed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, March 7, 2024. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region of semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. (AP Photo)

Paramilitary soldiers patrol ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

A paramilitary soldier guard near a road barricade set up by security forces ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Soldiers patrol on a boat ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

A woman tries to make her way through a road barricade set up by security forces ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

A paramilitary soldier guards as people queue up for security check outside a venue where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Modi on Thursday is making his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region’s semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Policemen frisk people in a queue outside a venue where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Modi on Thursday is making his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region’s semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

A paramilitary soldier stops a man on a bicycle near at a closed road near a venue where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Modi on Thursday is making his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region’s semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made his first official visit to Kashmir’s main city since New Delhi stripped the disputed region of its semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019.

Addressing a crowd in a soccer stadium in Srinagar, Modi announced development projects and said previous governments had misled people over the region’s now-scrapped special status.

“The success story of Jammu and Kashmir will be the center of attraction for the world,” he told the crowd, saying that the region has prospered since the 2019 move. “I have always said that the hard work I am doing is to win your hearts. I will work towards winning your hearts further.”

Modi and his party have accused Kashmir’s pro-India parties of being corrupt, misleading Kashmiris and promoting separatism in the region. Kashmiri politicians, who say their special status was a constitutional guarantee, have called Modi divisive and anti-minority.

Paramilitary soldiers patrol ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Thousands of armed paramilitary troops and police in flak jackets maintained extra vigilance across the Kashmir Valley, the heartland of the ongoing rebellion against Indian rule in the majority-Muslim territory, where many residents strongly favor independence or a merger with Pakistan. Modi’s two previous visits to Kashmir after its status was changed were to the Hindu-dominated city of Jammu.

Modi did not mention plans to hold elections in the region or to restore its statehood, both demanded by Kashmir’s pro-India political parties. The last election for the regional legislature were held in 2014, but the government elected then was dismissed in 2018.

In 2019, Modi’s Hindu-nationalist-led government revoked the region’s semi-autonomous status, annulled its separate constitution, split the area into two federal territories — Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir — and removed inherited protections on land and jobs. The Muslim-majority region is now run by unelected government officials and bureaucrats.

India’s powerful home minister, Amit Shah, has repeatedly promised that the region would regain statehood after elections.

In December, India’s Supreme Court upheld the 2019 decision and asked the government to conduct polls by September.

The region has been on edge since 2019, as authorities put in place a slew of new laws that many residents fear could change Kashmir’s demographics. The move was welcomed in much of India , where the Modi government was cheered by supporters for fulfilling a long-held Hindu nationalist pledge.

In New Delhi’s effort to shape what it calls a “new Kashmir,” India has shown no tolerance for dissent, curbing civil liberties and intimidating media .

Ahead of Modi’s visit to Srinagar, government forces laid razor wires and erected checkpoints on roads leading to the venue. They randomly frisked residents and searched vehicles, while navy commandos in motorboats patrolled the Jhelum River that snakes through the city.

Authorities ordered thousands of government employees, including teachers, to attend the meeting, and most schools in the city were closed for the day.

Thursday’s event is seen as part of Modi’s campaign ahead of national elections scheduled in April and May.

Such security measures have been common in Kashmir since 1989, when rebels began fighting against Indian rule.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and both claim the Himalayan region in its entirety. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.

Follow AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

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How India’s Economy Has Really Fared Under Modi

T he International Monetary Fund issued a most unusual rebuttal this month. Its spokeswoman Julie Kozack told reporters in Washington that executive director Krishnamurthy Subramanian’s growth forecast of 8% for India did not represent the views of the IMF, which still maintained a projection of 6.5% for the country.

Subramanian’s views—expressed at an event in New Delhi a few days earlier—were in his role as India’s representative at the IMF, she said. The “executive director” is actually one of the 24 such directors elected by member countries to the IMF’s “executive board,” which, confusingly enough, is “distinct from the work of the IMF staff.” Just how distinct became clear when Subramanian trashed IMF staff on X in response, saying the institution’s GDP forecasts for India are “consistently INACCURATE.”

As a former chief economic adviser to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and delegated to the IMF by the Modi government, Subramanian has good reason to take umbrage at the slightest suggestion that India’s economy may not be as robust as thought. The narrative of India as the new economic miracle is foundational to both the personality cult of Modi and the legitimacy of his government at home and abroad.

Modi rode to power in 2014 on the promise of mending a faltering economy. As chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, he had built up a formidable reputation as an efficient business-friendly administrator, which he successfully leveraged in his bid for the nation’s top job. “ Achhe din, ” or “good times,” was his promise.

Looking at the economic news coming out of India these days, it would seem he has delivered. As the fastest growing major economy, India is considered “the shining star of the global economy,” as the S&P Global Ratings chief economist calls it. It has already surpassed the U.K. to become the world’s fifth largest economy and is expected to overtake Japan and Germany to become the third-largest in five years. The Indian stock market, now the world’s fourth largest, is at an all-time high.

As India goes to polls, data points like these help megaphone Modi’s narrative of the country’s makeover into an economic powerhouse on his watch. At home, they amplify his image as a steady hand on the tiller taking India to ever greater heights. Abroad, they help mute criticism of his Hindu supremacist dispensation’s systematic attacks on India’s secular democracy and its Muslim and Christian minorities.

Read More: India’s Ayodhya Temple Is a Huge Monument to Hindu Supremacy

To be sure, the Indian economy’s size today and the scope of development makes it one of the most interesting growth stories. And, Big Business has much to be thankful for Modi’s reign. There’s less red tape and more administrative focus and push for industry. The government’s policy of incentivizing businesses with subsidies and tax breaks, and helping major homegrown firms to become “ national champions ” works well for them.

Yet the perception of India’s supposed economic miracle is also a product of a tightly controlled information ecosystem in which data is managed in keeping with the government’s narrative, ably assisted by a regime-friendly media. The simplest statistical fact is that Modi’s second term has actually seen the lowest period of GDP growth since India liberalized its markets in the early 1990s. Per capita income over the past 10 years grew half as fast as the decade under Modi’s predecessor Manmohan Singh of the opposition Congress Party, while stock market returns are lower than in the previous decade.

Much of the positive changes attributed to Modi, such as digitization of the economy and improved tax collection are a continuation of past trends, policies, and technological advancement. And much of the hype over the overall state of the economy does not wash when you drill down the numbers.

Even Modi’s former economic aides find the recent growth rates of 8% announced by the government “ mystifying .” Major discrepancies in the way GDP is being calculated make the data hugely problematic . One of Modi’s former chief economists holds that if correctly measured, India’s economy would actually be found to be decelerating .

Meanwhile, foreign direct investment is plunging . FDI levels are now the lowest in nearly two decades . Even local investors are shying away from opening their wallets. Private capital expenditure remains low. Private sector investment has in fact been falling as a proportion of GDP since 2012 and the economy is now largely driven by huge government investment .

The consumer goods market continues to be sluggish , with people cutting down on staples —emblematic of economic stress. Private consumption growth is the slowest in 20 years, setting aside the pandemic low. Tractor sales , a proxy for the economic health of villages (where 70% of Indians live), have fallen steeply. Banks are battling the worst deposit crunch in two decades as household savings are at a 47-year low while household debt levels are at a record high . Not exactly the signs of a booming economy. In the last financial year, India’s goods exports fell 3% and its crude imports , 14%.

Unemployment is also endemic. The share of young people with secondary or higher education among unemployed youth has almost doubled in 20 years; a third of graduates are unemployed. Jobless Indian youth now pursue opportunities in conflict zones in Israel and Ukraine , and try to smuggle themselves into the West. Indians are currently the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., their numbers having surged faster than those from any other country.

Despite all of Modi’s drumbeating on boosting India’s manufacturing sector with his much-trumpeted “ Make in India ” campaign, manufacturing’s share of the GDP has fallen. Far from increasing manufacturing jobs, India is losing them in millions. The ranks of farmworkers, meanwhile, have risen by 60 million in the past four years. Agriculture now actually employs a greater share of workers than it did five years ago, a reversal that points to deindustrialization.

There are also concerns about data manipulation. Before the last parliamentary election in 2019, the government buried its own employment data before the election as it showed the unemployment rate to be at a 45-year-high, leading to resignations of members of the National Statistical Commission. A key five-yearly consumer survey result was withheld that year because of “ data quality issues .” When it was finally released this February, it showed poverty and inequality has fallen, and consumer spending had tripled in a decade . That contradicts the government’s own findings and data found elsewhere.

By some estimates, around 1 million people referred to as the “ octopus class ” now control 80% of the country’s wealth and are creating an illusion of national prosperity. The latest “ World Inequality Report ” calls India a “Billionaire Raj” where income inequality is now worse than under British rule. As the number of India’s ultra-rich has grown 11 times in the last decade, the country has fallen in the Global Hunger Index, and now sits below North Korea and war-torn Sudan. Acknowledging the issue, Modi’s government is giving free grains to 60% of the population.

None of these facts speak to the El Dorado that Modi is claiming to be creating. India needs much more than headline management and upward mobility for a tiny segment to fundamentally transform its economy. Apart from heavy investment in physical infrastructure —which Modi can be duly credited for—his government isn’t doing much else for that transformation.

All Asian economies that have sparkled in the past half-century have seen heavy synchronization between their trade, industrial, and social policies. Land reforms, enormous state intervention in education and health, and other redistributive policies created the bedrock of domestic demand and higher productivity that spurred Asia’s “miracle” countries. These are the reasons why Vietnam, seen as the new Asian miracle , exports more than India with less than a tenth of India’s population. Modi has done little to suggest he has the inclination or the ability for such deep reforms to make India shine. A false gold rush is all he can offer.

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Krishna is the editor for politics and general news in India. He has also closely tracked India’s health industry and all things Bangladesh. He was a member of teams that won the Society of Publishers in Asia awards in 2017 and 2018 for Reuters coverage of the Bangladesh Bank heist and the Rohingya refugee crisis. He served as Malaysia bureau chief in 2019 and 2020 before returning home.

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The Take: What would a third Modi term mean for India?

The world’s largest general election gets under way. So what would a third term for Modi mean for India?

The world’s largest general election has begun in India with close to one billion registered voters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains extremely popular, but his Hindu nationalist agenda has come at the expense of minority rights. So what would a third term for Modi mean for India?

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