Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday during which he inaugurated many developmental projects and educational institutions across the state. Mobile services were temporarily suspended in the state and internet services were snapped during his visit.
In Srinagar, Modi took a boat ride on the iconic Dal Lake – a video of which has been shared by the Twitter handle of news agency ANI and the official handle of BJP. In the video clip, PM Modi can be seen standing in front of a boat, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and waving at an empty Dal Lake. No one can be seen around.
The video has drawn some witty reactions on Twitter, with politicians as well as citizens mocking it. “This camera person has done the Hon PM a huge disservice by not showing all the people furiously waving back because there is no way the PM would be waving at an empty lake,” wrote former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah.
This camera person has done the Hon PM a huge disservice by not showing all the people furiously waving back because there is no way the PM would be waving at an empty lake. https://t.co/YJoEfX8DJ3
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 4, 2019
Another former CM Mehbooba Mufti took a jibe at Modi saying he was waving at his ‘imaginary friends in Kashmir’. A PDP Spokesperson Waheed Ur Rehman wrote: “A time when #PM AB Vajpayee visited Kashmir was greeted by 50,000 people and In 2015 @PMOIndia visited Kashmir and addressed a gathering of 40,000 people in SK Stadium. Today same PM visits Kashmir & entire valley made a garasion. People are stoped so that PM can move.”
For the those who are asking , the 👋 is for BJPs countless imaginary ‘friends’ in Kashmir. https://t.co/l0YPq2oiVy
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 4, 2019
A time when #PM AB Vajpayee visited Kashmir was greeted by 50,000 people and In 2015 @PMOIndia visited Kashmir and addressed a gathering of 40,000 people in SK Stadium. Today same PM visits kashmir & entire valley made a garasion. People are stoped so that PM can move. https://t.co/fCO3qQ3Kuy
— Waheed Para (@parawahid) February 3, 2019
The video also has left Kashmiris confused – many of whom complained that the security was so tight that roads were sealed and no one was allowed anywhere near the site. Others pointed out how Kashmir was observing a complete shutdown. One Twitter user answered, “He is trying to Create MODI WAVE”.
https://twitter.com/RuralPsycho/status/1092108118937427968
I see no one there. We hear Kashmir is under lockdown for his visit. So…who is he waving to? 😂 https://t.co/oCvrgTaF8C
— Rita Banerji (@Rita_Banerji) February 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/iamsidqatar/status/1092072301464616960
https://twitter.com/emrnbichu/status/1092415619805237248
Twitter users pointed out that the Dal Lake is huge and it wasn’t possible for anyone to see who is on the banks. Others also offered a reminder that Srinagar was on a complete lockdown during the PM’s visit and no one other than security personnel was allowed near the Dal Lake.