A square that once trembled at the sight of the national flag lit up in tricolour for Diwali — and Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy wants every Indian to see what that means. On Monday, 9 November 2026, the BJP's Telangana president took to X to celebrate the grand Diwali festivities held the previous evening at Lal Chowk, Srinagar, calling them a living testament to Kashmir's transformation.

Posting in Telugu, Reddy wrote: 'ఒకప్పుడు జాతీయ జెండా ఎగరేయడానికే భయపడిన శ్రీనగర్‌లోని లాల్ చౌక్‌లో నిన్న దీపావళి వేడుకలు అంబరాన్నంటాయి!' — 'Yesterday, Diwali celebrations soared to the skies at Srinagar's Lal Chowk, the very place where there was once fear even to hoist the national flag!' He highlighted tricolour lighting and lamps shaped in the 'Sindoor' motif as special attractions, calling the event a true symbol of the resolve of Kashmir's people and of changing times under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Why Lal Chowk carries so much weight

Lal Chowk is Srinagar's historic commercial and political heart — and for decades it was ground zero for separatist confrontations, curfews, and incidents where hoisting the tricolour was itself an act of defiance. The square became a symbol of contested sovereignty, with political leaders making national-flag ceremonies there a pointed statement whenever they occurred. That history is precisely why officials like Reddy use it as a reference point when arguing that something fundamental has changed in the Valley.

The pivot came in August 2019, when Parliament abrogated Article 370, revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special constitutional status, and reorganised it into two Union Territories under direct central administration. Since then, the central government has consistently promoted public festivals, tricolour displays, and cultural events in the Valley as markers of restored normalcy and national integration — a deliberate counter-narrative to the years of separatist activity that defined Lal Chowk's international image.

Tricolour lights and 'Sindoor' lamps: the symbolism on show

The specific imagery Reddy highlighted — tricolour LED illumination and diyas arranged in the 'Sindoor' shape — was not incidental. Each element is freighted with integrationist symbolism: the flag's colours asserting national belonging, the 'Sindoor' motif evoking cultural and civilisational continuity. For BJP leaders, public festivals at Lal Chowk serve a dual function: a genuine community celebration and a visual argument that the post-Article 370 settlement is taking root in everyday life.

Reddy's post fits a well-established pattern in which BJP politicians — especially those with Telangana and national mandates — amplify events from the Kashmir Valley to their home-state audiences, connecting the government's national-security record to its cultural governance narrative ahead of election cycles.

Lal Chowk glowing in tricolour on Diwali night is a photograph India's ruling party will not let the country forget quickly — and that, in itself, is a political fact worth watching.