A delegation of opposition leaders including former Congress President Rahul Gandhi will visit Jammu and Kashmir to ‘verify’ government claims that things are normal in the valley following the abrogation of Article 370. Earlier this month, the government had fully integrated the state as part of India and bifurcated it into two union territories, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
The opposition leaders are visiting the valley despite a request from the Jammu & Kashmir administration to not visit the valley as the security forces are busy trying to protect the people from terror attacks, cross border terrorism as well as attacks by militants and separatists.
At a time when the government is trying to protect the people of Jammu & Kashmir from the threat of cross border terrorism and attacks by militants and separatists and gradually trying to restore public order by controlling miscreants and mischief mongers, (1/3)
— DIPR-J&K (@diprjk) August 23, 2019
The administration also said how there are restrictions in certain parts of the valley and the political leaders going there would violate these restrictions and they could add inconvenience to other people.
They would also be violating restrictions that are still there in many areas. Senior leaders should understand that top priority would be given to maintaining peace, order and preventing loss of human lives.
— DIPR-J&K (@diprjk) August 23, 2019
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also part of the delegation going to Jammu & Kashmir, said “On one hand Govt says situation is normal, and on the other hand they don’t allow anyone to go.Never seen such contradictions. If things normal then why political leaders are under house arrest?”
NCP leader Majid Memon, who is also part of the delegation said that the opposition leaders’ motto is not to create disturbance in the valley. “We aren’t going in government’s opposition, we are going in government’s support, so that we too give suggestions as to what must be done,” he said.
The opposition leaders’ delegation consists of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, KC Venugopal, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, LJD’s Sharad Yadav, TMC’s Dinesh Trivedi, NCP’s Majid Memon, RJD’s Manoj Jha and JDS’ D K Reddy.
