‘Do not disturb’: Opposition leaders planning Jammu & Kashmir visit

Jammu and Kashmir administration has requested the delegation of opposition leaders to cancel their visit to Srinagar planned for Saturday as it is likely to “disturb the gradual restoration of normal life” and put other people to “inconvenience” in a series of tweets.

The tweets follow agency reports claiming an all-party-opposition delegation including Congress, CPI-M, CPI, RJD, NCP, TMC and DMK is planning to visit Srinagar on Saturday. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also likely to accompany, the reports say.

Department of Information and Public Relations’ tweets points out that the leaders’ visit will “violate restrictions” that are valid in many areas and that leaders must understand that currently “priority” should be given to maintaining peace, order and preventing loss of human lives.

“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, attempts should not be made by senior political leaders to disturb the gradual restoration of normal life. Political leaders are requested to cooperate and not visit Srinagar as they would be putting other people to inconvenience,” the tweet says.

According to PTI, Opposition delegation plans to meet people in Jammu and Kashmir to assess the situation after region’s special status was removed and restrictions imposed to prevent violent protests.

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma will be part of the delegation claims PTI quoting sources.

Agency report names left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja along with DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, RJD’s Manoj Jha and Dinesh Trivedi from NCP as other members of the delegation.

So far, the government has not allowed any political leader to enter the state ever since provisions of Article 370 were abrogated by the Centre.

Leaders of regional parties, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have been put under house arrest. Congress MP Azad was not allowed to enter the state and was stopped twice, both at Srinagar and Jammu. Earlier, Raja was also stopped at Srinagar airport and sent back.

Rahul Gandhi had wanted to visit the state and had asked Governor Satya Pal Malik to allow him.