Ghulam Nabi Azad thanks SC for allowing him to visit J-K

Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday thanked the Supreme Court for allowing him to visit Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Jammu.

"I am thankful to the Supreme Court for permitting me to travel to Jammu and Kashmir. My petition was different from other pleas. There was no politics in it... I had raised a humanitarian issue, which was important," Azad told media here.

He said that in his petition he had raised concerns about the common citizens of the state and expressed his desire to meet them.

"I had gone to Srinagar airport twice to meet these people, but the state government sent me back both the times. I even tried to go from Jammu airport, but was sent back from there too," he said.

"I did not write in my petition that I am going there to meet my family members... Yes, I am concerned about my family, but my petition was not about meeting my family or any political leader or to hold any public meeting. My petition was on humanitarian basis, it was about the lakhs of people - what they eat, how they are surviving," he added.

Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, on Monday said, "He (Azad) will not make any speeches or hold any public rally as per his own submissions."

CJI further stated, "If requirement arises, I may visit Jammu and Kashmir."

When asked about the CJI's statement, Azad told ANI, "This is very good. I am very happy. I think everybody should be happy in Kashmir Valley and across the region that no less than the Chief Justice of India has expressed his concern and has felt that he himself should go there and see how things are moving.