Breaking: PM Modi Inspects Chenab Bridge Amid Political Row; Congress Cites Project Origins Under UPA | ABP NEWS

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu & Kashmir to inspect the iconic Chenab Railway Bridge — the world's highest railway arch bridge — political tensions surfaced. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh commented that PM Modi never acknowledges the continuity of governance, highlighting that the railway project was initially approved in 1995 under PV Narasimha Rao and declared a national project in 2002 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He emphasized that infrastructure projects like these, especially in geologically and politically sensitive areas like J&K, require decades of sustained effort. However, many argued that this moment should be a unifying celebration for all Indians, not a stage for political point-scoring. The Anjikhad and Chenab bridges represent engineering marvels and symbolize a historic integration of Kashmir with the rest of India through rail connectivity. While the UPA had initiated earlier portions of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, it was under the Modi government’s focused execution that the most difficult 111-km stretch was completed. Experts and citizens alike hailed the achievement, calling it a dream come true — one that dates back even to the 19th century. The inauguration has been seen as a signal of peace, development, and a new beginning for tourism and connectivity in Kashmir.