Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday recalled his trip to Jammu and Kashmir as a “beautiful experience” and said he “couldn’t agree more” with Narendra Modi’s contention that there was so much to see in India, prompting the Prime Minister to burnish the credentials of his flagship manufacturing and tourism campaigns.
The cricket legend, who along with his family visited Kashmir last week, summed up his sojourn by lavishing praise on Kashmiris alongside a special mention of Modi, giving a political hue to his visit.
Sachin has been posting multiple videos of his visit on social media over the past week. A video of an army-guided tour close to Kaman Post on the Line of Control on Monday, which showed him standing in front of an “Akhand Bharat” mural, appears to have generated fresh publicity for the RSS-championed idea of a “greater India”.
“Jammu and Kashmir will remain a beautiful experience etched in my memory. There was snow all around but we felt warm because of people’s exceptional hospitality,” Sachin posted on X on Wednesday. “Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji said there is so much to see in our nation. Couldn’t agree more, especially after this trip”.
Sachin said Kashmir willow bats were great examples of “Make in India, Make for the World.”
“They have travelled across the globe, and now I recommend people across the globe, and India, to come and experience Jammu & Kashmir, one of the several jewels of @incredibleindia.”
Make in India and Incredible India are the Modi government’s flagship manufacturing and tourism initiatives.
Modi shared Sachin’s post and expressed his delight. “This is wonderful to see! @sachin_rt’s lovely Jammu and Kashmir visit has two important takeaways for our youth: One — to discover different parts of #IncredibleIndia. Two — the importance of ‘Make in India,” the PM said.
“Together, let’s build a Viksit and Aatmanirbhar Bharat!”
Sachin’s Kashmir visit has not been entirely free of controversy. There was speculation that he was here ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to publicise the Naya Kashmir narrative, which claims that Jammu and Kashmir is progressing after the 2019 scrapping of special status.
