A delegation of opposition parties, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, boarded a plane on Saturday to visit Jammu and Kashmir, their first since the abolition of Article 370 on August 5.
Sources, however, said the delegation would be sent away from the airport as the state administration urged them not to visit the state, stating there should not be efforts to disturb the gradual restoration of normalcy. Since the repeal of Article 370, which gave the State a special status, Jammu and Kashmir have been under a security clampdown.
The govt is saying everything is okay here & everything is normal. If everything is normal why are we not allowed out?: Shri @RahulGandhi
Was it not Governor Satya Pal Malik that invited Mr. Gandhi to come to J&K and assess the situation for himself? #RahulGandhiWithJnK pic.twitter.com/jneIkpOJve
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 24, 2019
Other delegation members include leader D of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Raja, Sitaram Yechury, leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, and K.C. leaders of the Congress. Chief Sharad Yadav, Dinesh Trivedi, Tiruchi Siva, Majeed Memon, Venugopal, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) Manoj Jha and D. Kupendra Reddy.
Opposition leaders D Raja, Sharad Yadav,Majeed Memon and Manoj Jha onboard flight to Srinagar.Opposition delegation including Rahul Gandhi are visiting Jammu & Kashmir today. pic.twitter.com/a5gxyy2i2o
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2019
Leader of the CPI D. Raja advised journalists not to go to the Valley to create any issue of law and order.
Reports are coming in of media persons being aggressively handled by the Srinagar police & blocked from meeting with Opposition leaders delegation.
We strongly condemn these draconian measures against the media. #RahulGandhiWithJnK
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 24, 2019
“We are citizens of the country. So is everyone in Jammu and Kashmir. We are not people who will make things difficult for anyone. We just want to go and see the situation on the ground,” Sharad Yadav told reporters.
Ghulam Nabi Azad also assured the media that they were not going to break any law as they were leaders of responsible political parties.
“The government says the situation in J& K is normal. But then they don’t allow leaders to go there? Haven’t seen such a contradiction. If things are normal there, why aren’t we allowed to visit the place?” Azad wondered.