Modi says his next mission is 'Wed in India', asks citizens to 'spend lavishly in J&K so that...'

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday his next mission is "Wed in India". Speaking at the 'Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu & Kashmir' programme in Srinagar, the Prime Minister urged the citizens of India to avoid hosting weddings abroad.

"People should host weddings in India...If people feel like coming to J&K and hosting weddings...do their booking here, stay here for three days and spend lavishly here so that people of Jammu and Kashmir also get their livelihood," PM Modi said on Thursday.

Modi mentioned his "Wed in India" initiative for the first time during a Mann ki Baat episode on November 26, 2023. He said, "If we celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil… the country’s money will remain in the country...The people of the country will get an opportunity to render some service...even poor people will tell their children about that occasion.

During his speech on Thursday, PM Modi also lauded the boost in Jammu and Kashmir tourism over the past few years. He said Srinagar is making big strides in tourism. "This does not only help Jammu and Kashmir but the entire country," he said.

He said while tourists were reluctant to visit Jammu and Kashmir earlier, the Union Territory "is breaking all records of tourism today".

He mentioned, "Over 2 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2023 only. Be it Amarnath or Vaishno Devi Mandir, a record number of devotees now visit these religious places. Also, the foreign tourist arrivals have increased by 2.5 times.

The Prime Minister added Jammu and Kashmir is touching new heights of development and breathing freely after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019. He further accused the Congress of misguiding not only the people of Jammu and Kashmir but the entire nation on Article 370 for a long time.

The prime minister extended his wishes for the upcoming pious month of Ramzan and Maha Shivratri which was on Friday.