Jhanjharpur (Bihar), Apr 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s function at Madhubani district in Bihar on Thursday will be held without any ceremony in view of the Pahalgam terror attack that has killed at least 26 people, his cabinet colleague Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan said.

The JD(U) leader was addressing a press conference on Wednesday at Jhanjharpur, a sub-division of Madhubani close to the Indo-Nepal border where the Prime Minister is scheduled to launch a number of projects and flag off a couple of semi-high-speed trains.

“It was a dastardly act in which tourists were killed. Our condolences are with the bereaved families. The Prime Minister is capable of responding to such a subversive attack carried out at the instance of the neighbouring country. He will do so at an appropriate time”, said the Union minister without mentioning Pakistan by name.

He added, “There were doubts, in the light of the incident, over the PM’s tour. But now the PMO has confirmed that he will be coming. But there would be no grand welcome, no garlanding, etc.

“Earlier we had planned for a short jeep ride, in which the PM, along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was to greet people on the way to the dais. That plan, too, has been shelved. He will attend the function organised on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Diwas, address the rally, and leave”, said Lalan.

The Union Panchayati Raj minister was also asked if the proposed launch of any of the projects, including a Namo Bharat intercity train and an Amrit Bharat express running till Mumbai, had also been put on hold.

He replied, “We do not have full details of the PM’s programme yet. As of now, there is no other change in the programme”.

According to an official release, the PM is scheduled to launch projects worth Rs 13,500 crore at the function, to which Panchayati Raj Institutions and Gram Sabhas from across the country will be connected through video conference.

Incidentally, the PM’s visit to Madhubani marks his fourth tour, since last year’s Lok Sabha polls, of Bihar, where assembly elections are due in a few months from now.

NDA leaders in the state have been buoyed by the attention Bihar has of late been getting from the Centre, which recently came up with a slew of announcements for the impoverished province in the Union budget.

The press conference addressed by Lalan, who represents the state’s Munger Lok Sabha seat, was attended, among others, by state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, minister Nitin Nabin and JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha. PTI NAC RG