Inconveniencing the Valley: J&K police sources say Opposition leaders can’t leave airport

New Delhi, Aug 24: As a precautionary measure, the Opposition leaders who will visit Jammu and Kashmir will not be allowed to leave the airport.

Sources in the Jammu and Kashmir police tell OneIndia that it is too risky to allow the Opposition leaders as there is a good chance that trouble could erupt. The administration had requested them not to disturb the Valley, but they have still decided to come.

We want to prevent any escalation of trouble in J&K and hence have decided not to allow them to leave the airport, the source also said.

Jammu and Kashmir is largely under a lockdown post the abrogation of Article 370.

Their visit is likely to disturb the gradual restoration of normal life and put others to inconvenience.
A delegation of the Congress, CPI-M, CPI, RJD, TMC and DMK will visit Jammu and Kashmir today. Rahul Gandhi too will accompany the delegation.

The Department of Information and Public Relations says that the visit will violate the restrictions, that are in force in many areas. These leaders must understand that priority must be to maintain peace and restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

"At a time when the government is trying to protect the people of Jammu and Kashmir from threat of cross border terrorism and attacks by militants and mischief mongers, attempts should not be made by senior political leaders to disturb the gradual restoration of normal life. Political leaders are requested to cooperate and not visit Srinagar as they would be putting other people to inconvenience," the tweet by the department states.

The Opposition delegation plans to meet the people of Jammu and Kashmir to assess the situation after the Centre scrapped Article 370. Following this decision, restrictions were imposed to prevent violent protests.

Till date, no political leader has been allowed to visit the state as a security measure.The leaders of political parties in Srinagar, such as Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have been under house arrest. Recently Congress MP, Ghulam Nabi Azad too was prevented from entering the state.