26 tourists were killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a direct attack on Pakistan today over the neighbouring country's open support to terrorists. He slammed Pakistan for conspiring to strike at Jammu and Kashmir's economy and discourage travellers by killing 26 tourists in Pahalgam.
"Pakistan is against humanity, tourism and rozi-roti of Kashmiris, and hence attacked tourists in Pahalgam," PM Modi said in Katra after inaugurating the world's highest rail bridge over the River Chenab, and India's first cable-stayed bridge Anji.
PM Modi's strong comments against Pakistan have increased pressure on the neighbouring country over its policy of allowing terrorists to train on its territory before sending them to India to launch attacks.
After Operation Sindoor, when India launched precision cruise missile strikes at terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), India maintained that its fight was against terrorists in Pakistan and not against the people of Pakistan.
"Whenever Pakistan hears the name 'Operation Sindoor', it will be reminded of its shameful defeat," PM Modi said, referring to India's strikes on Pakistani military installations like air bases and radar sites.
Earlier today, the prime minister flagged off a Vande Bharat service between Katra and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, the first train connection between Kashmir valley and the Jammu region.
He inaugurated the train in the presence of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, among others.
According to the Northern Railway, the train has two travelling classes - Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC) - with tickets costing Rs 715 and Rs 1,320, respectively.
The rail link features India's second-longest transportation tunnel, T-80 (11.22 km), known as the Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, situated between Banihal and Qazigund. The project involves the construction of 36 main tunnels with a total length of 119.6 km, along with eight escape tunnels totalling 66.4 km.
The Chenab bridge measures 1.3 km in length and stands at a height of 359 metres- 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower. The construction involved over 600 km of steel welding, exceeding the length of the railway track from Jammu to Delhi.
Anji Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, is 725.5 metres long. The bridge is balanced on the axis of a single central pylon and the height of a single pylon is 193 metres from the top of the foundation. Remarkably, all 96 stay cables were installed within just 11 months, with a total length of 653 km - more than the distance from Jammu to Delhi.
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