'Kashmir To Kevadia': PM Modi Praises Omar Abdullah's Gujarat Visit, Calls It A Symbol Of Unity

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah after the latter's visit to Gujarat, highlighting it as a powerful gesture of national unity.

The PM said CM Abdullah's visit to the Statue of Unity will inspire fellow Indians to travel to different parts of the country.

Abdullah was on a two-day visit to Gujarat for Tourism and Travel Fair (TTF) in Ahmedabad.

"Kashmir to Kevadia! Good to see Shri Omar Abdullah Ji enjoying his run at the Sabarmati Riverfront and visiting the Statue of Unity. His visit to SoU gives an important message of unity and will inspire our fellow Indians to travel to different parts of India," PM Modi said.

In response, the J&K chief minister expressed he firmly believes that travel broadens the horizons and the mind. "It’s especially important for us in J&K as tourism is a crucial part of our economy & has the potential to gainfully employ lakhs of people. That’s why I & my colleagues are trying to convince more of our fellow Indians to visit J&K, especially after the tragic events earlier this year," he said.

Earlier, Abdullah posted pictures of his morning run at the Sabarmati River Front promenade and conveyed it's one of the nicest places he has been able to run. "It was a pleasure to get to share it with so many other walkers/runners. I even managed to run past the amazing Atal Foot Bridge." He also visited the the 182-metre Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue dedicated to country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, near Ekta Nagar in Narmada district.

Standing on the wall of the dam at Ekta Nagar, Abdullah said he never imagined that these two structures would be so impressive. "Both these structures are a true tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is known as the Iron Man of India. These structures are the symbols of new India. Just imagine that this dam helped us in providing water to arid regions like Kutch. People's lives changed because of this project," he said.

"We (the people of J&K) were not that fortunate, because we could never conceive such projects. Because we were not allowed to stop river waters. Now, when the Indus Water Treaty has been suspended, we are seeing a ray of hope," said Abdullah.

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