NEW DELHI – A delegation of India’s opposition leaders, led by former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, was barred from leaving the Srinagar airport by the administration and sent back to Delhi on Saturday.
The delegation comprised of Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and K.C. Venugopal, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) chief Sharad Yadav, Dinesh Trivedi, Tiruchi Siva, Majeed Memon, Manoj Jha and D. Kupendra Reddy.
The state administration said “attempts should not be made to disturb the gradual restoration of normalcy there,” the Times of India reported.
The leaders from nine political parties, who had flown to Srinagar this afternoon but returned within hours, lashed out at the government, questioning its claim of “normalcy” in the held-Valley.
https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1165262924555771904
“The government has invited me. The governor has said that I am invited. Now that I have come, they are saying you can’t come. The government is saying that everything is normal here, so if everything is normal then why are we not allowed to go in. It is surprising,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters at Srinagar airport.
CPI leader D. Raja told reporters that they were not going to the Valley to create any law and order problem.
“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 contradiction. If things are normal there, why aren’t we allowed to visit the place?” Azad wondered.
The occupied region of Jammu and Kashmir has been under a security clampdown since the abrogation of Article 370, that accorded the state a special status.
Meanwhile, occupation forces used tear gas against local residents in Srinagar on Friday, who took to streets defying strict curfew.
Police tried to enter Soura, the main village, as hundreds of locals staged a protest march against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to withdraw special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The call for the march was given by Joint Resistance Leadership.
In Soura, blocked like many others with rocks and sheets of metal, residents hurled stones at the occupational forces to stop them moving into an area around the local mosque, Jinab Sahib, which had been packed for Friday prayers.
The police responded with several rounds of tear gas and chili grenades to disperse the people.
