Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ayodhya today to inaugurate several projects with a total investment exceeding Rs 15,000 crore. Ahead of his visit, the Prime Minister said his government is determined to build world-class infrastructure in the city.

At 11:15 am, PM Modi will kick off the day’s events by inaugurating the revamped Ayodhya Railway Station. The Prime Minister will also flag off new Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains. At 12:15 pm, he will unveil the newly constructed Ayodhya Airport.

“Our government is determined to develop world-class infrastructure, improve connectivity and preserve the rich heritage of Ayodhya, the city of Lord Shri Ram. In this direction, I will inaugurate the newly constructed airport and redeveloped railway station tomorrow. Along with this, I will also get the privilege of inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of many more development projects, which will make the life of my family members in many areas of the country including Ayodhya and UP easier,” PM Modi wrote on X in Hindi.

भगवान श्री राम की नगरी अयोध्या में विश्वस्तरीय इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर के विकास, कनेक्टिविटी में सुधार और यहां की समृद्ध विरासत के संरक्षण के लिए हमारी सरकार कृतसंकल्प है। इसी दिशा में कल नवनिर्मित एयरपोर्ट और पुनर्विकसित रेलवे स्टेशन का उद्घाटन करूंगा। इसके साथ ही कई और विकास परियोजनाओं…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 29, 2023

The day will culminate in a public program at 1 pm, where PM Modi will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation, and lay the foundation stones for several development projects. These projects, collectively valued at more than Rs 15,000 crore, encompass initiatives worth Rs 11,100 crore dedicated to the development of Ayodhya and its surroundings. Additionally, projects worth Rs 4,600 crore will be unveiled, targeting various areas across Uttar Pradesh.

The other projects include a medical college, the Ayodhya bypass, a solid waste treatment, and five parking and commercial facilities.

The Home Ministry has designated Lakhbir Singh Landa, a 33-year-old Canada-based gangster, as a terrorist under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA. Landa was involved in a rocket attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in 2021, among other terrorist activities, according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Born in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district in 1989, Landa fled to Canada in 2017. The MHA identifies him as a member of the notorious Khalistani group, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Landa is believed to have close ties with Harvinder Singh, also known as Rinda, a gangster based in Pakistan who has collaborated with the BKI.

According to the Home Ministry, Landa was not only responsible for the rocket attack in Mohali but also involved in the supply of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), arms, sophisticated weapons, and explosives from across the border to various modules engaged in terrorist activities in Punjab.

The Home Ministry in its notification said Landa is involved in various criminal cases related to the formation of terror modules, extortion, killings, planting IEDs, smuggling weapons and narcotics, and utilising funds for terrorist acts not only in Punjab but also in other parts of the country.

Landa had close ties to several Khalistani terrorists based in Canada, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice and the late Hardeep Singh Nijjar of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), among others.

PM Modi Ayodhya Visit Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be arriving shortly in the temple town of Ayodhya to inaugurate the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham airport as well as the redeveloped railway station. The prime minister’s visit comes weeks before the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22. 

In a four-hour long visit, the Prime Minister will also launch or lay foundation stones for 46 infrastructure projects costing ₹ 15,700 crore. PM Modi will also inaugurate beautified roads, a medical college, the Ayodhya bypass, a solid waste treatment and five parking and commercial facilities. “Our government is determined to develop world-class infrastructure, improve connectivity and preserve the rich heritage of Ayodhya, the city of Lord Shri Ram. In this direction, I will inaugurate the newly constructed airport and redeveloped railway station tomorrow. Along with this, I will also get the privilege of inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of many more development projects, which will make the life of my family members in many areas of the country, including Ayodhya and UP, easier,” the prime minister said in a post on X yesterday. 

The Ayodhya airport, which will start operations from January 6, has been developed at a cost of over ₹1,450 crore and will serve nearly 10 lakh passengers annually. Flights from big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Ahmedabad will bring in devotees from across India to the grand temple of Lord Ram after its consecration. The ₹ 240 crore redeveloped railway station renamed to the Ayodhya Dham junction will be a three-storey facility with food plazas and waiting rooms.

Here are the LIVE Updates on Ayodhya Airport Inauguration: