JK Cong criticizes govt for not letting Oppn team in Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Saturday criticised the government for not allowing a delegation of opposition members including Rahul Gandhi to come out of Srinagar airport to take stock of the situation there after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions.

Congress state president G A Mir and other party leaders said the government action belies its "repeated claims" that the situation in the valley has largely "normalised".

"Congress criticizes the action of the government to disallow opposition delegation to visit Kashmir in view of its repeated claims that the situation in the valley has normalised to the extent that all government and other institutions are working normally and there is peace in most parts of the state," a statement issued by J&K Pradesh Congress Committee said.

On one hand, the Centre and state government made claims about the normalcy while on the other they have declared the state out-of-bound for all mainstream leaders of the country except those of the ruling BJP, the claimed.

This shows the "mindset" of the ruling party in Delhi and the "undemocratic" style of the regime, they said, adding they have not shown any respect for the main opposition leadership of the country.

The opposition is equally concerned about the overall affairs of the country and is answerable to the people, it said.

This was the fourth attempt by the opposition to reach out to the people of the state in view of the situation that emerged following the decision to scrap J&K's special status and divide it into two union territories, the party said.

Earlier in the day, the CPI(M) said the 11-member delegation of opposition parties from Delhi was not allowed to leave Srinagar airport by the administration.

The delegation representing eight political parties - the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, DMK, NCP, JD(S), RJD and the TMC -- had said that they were "responding to the invite of the the governor of Jammu and Kashmir for visiting the state".

They were not allowed despite Governor S P Malik's "invite", the Congress statement said.

On the contrary, the party said, when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre and an unrest erupted in the state, the government had itself arranged an all-party, including the BJP, delegation visit, to the state, it said.