Ahead of J-K visit, Azad questions connectivity in the region

Ahead of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday expressed concern over connectivity issues in the valley.

Azad will visit Srinagar today. He will visit Baramulla and other districts in the next two days. The Supreme Court had on Monday allowed Azad to visit Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Jammu.

While the Jammu and Kashmir administration earlier stated that all landlines have been restored in the region, Azad said that only businessmen and government employees can own landlines in today's times.

"Saying that we have opened landlines is a deception. Where are the landlines? If they are there then who all are using it? This means that in a way Valley is still cut off. People there can't do business and they can't ask about their children in country or abroad. What kind of democracy is this?" Azad told media here.

"I had mentioned in my petition that around one-third or one-fourth of the total population of Kashmir is dependent on daily wage labourers. There are a lot of people in this who work in different fields. I wanted to meet these people. I was concerned about these people," he added.