Congress lawmaker and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was on way to the Valley, was stopped at Srinagar airport on Thursday and is being sent back, reports ANI. Azad’s visit comes days after the Centre revoked the provisions of Article 370, which gave special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir and also divided the Himalayan state into two Union Territories.
The Rajya Sabha member was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir. They had boarded an early morning flight.
Before departing for Srinagar Azad told ANI, “I always go [to Kashmir] after the end of the Parliament session. I have not asked anyone for permission. I am going to join the people in times of suffering.”
Azad, in his comments on the pictures and videos of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s interaction with locals in Kashmir’s Shopian district, said: “Anyone can be brought along with money”.
NSA Doval on Wednesday visited the militancy-affected south Kashmir and was seen eating food on a footpath outside closed shops and talking to locals. The pictures and videos went viral on social media.
“Ghulam Nabi Azad’s comments are unfortunate. I condemn it strongly….when the NSA visits the state and meets and eats with the people of the area, the Congress says that we have paid them money? “These accusations come from the people of Pakistan. This is not expected from a big political party like the Congress. How can you make these accusations? This statement will be used by Pakistan on global forums. He should immediately apologise for the comments,” BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told a news channel.
