Omar credits Vajpayee for Kashmir rail link, Not correct:Cong

India alliance partner NC President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave full mark to  former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the rail link to Kashmir, saying it was made possible only after Vajpayee declared it a 'project of national importance' and significantly increased its budget. He said, "Even the British once dreamt of connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. They had envisioned bringing the railway up to Uri along the Jhelum River to link Kashmir with the rest of the nation, but they could not fulfill that dream. But today, what even the British could not achieve has been fulfilled through your hands. Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmir Valley, has now been connected to the rest of the country... This project will greatly benefit Jammu and Kashmir. It will improve connectivity and boost tourism, benefitting the local residents."  

#WATCH | Katra, J&K | CM Omar Abdullah says, "Many people dreamt of this train service... What the British could not do, you got it completed, and Kashmir valley has now been connected with the rest of the country. On this occasion, it would be a mistake if I did not mention and… pic.twitter.com/f9imOp4kQ5

— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2025

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is a powerful example of continuity in governance which he claimed is "consistently denied" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his "perennial desire for self-glory".

There is continuity in governance. The Prime Minister never acknowledges continuity in governance because he is perennially searching for self-glorification and self-publicity.

This 272 km long Udampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway project was sanctioned in March 1995, when Shri… pic.twitter.com/9SyU0GVQ5Y

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 6, 2025

The BJP on slammed the Congress for "spreading half truth" about the Kashmir rail link project, and said the Modi government finished what it started, unlike the opposition party which only made announcements and forgot to fulfil them during its term.BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari wrote on X, " Jairam Ramesh ji, stop spreading half truths."