Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is back from a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday attacked the Narendra Modi government over the situation in the Valley following the nullification of Article 370, saying the circumstances represented a “government-made disaster”.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said contrary to the claims made by the Centre, the situation in the Valley as well as in Jammu was anything but normal, with people living in a constant state of fear amidst restrictions imposed since August 5. He further said half the population of Jammu and Kashmir, comprising labourers, were struggling for livelihood and did not even have access to food.
Azad, who spent three days visiting the Valley from September 21, and was in Jammu for a day after that, claimed that the local administration did not allow him to visit a majority of the 15 places that he was planning to go to.
He said the state administration tried to scare away people who wanted to meet him. “The meetings took place under CCTV surveillance. The faces of the people who came to meet me were captured on camera. Our discussions were recorded. The state administration did its best to scare people away,” he said.
The senior Congress leader said a large number of people in the state, who depended on tourism, handicrafts and horticulture for a living, were struggling to even get two square meals.
He asked if the situation was indeed normal and there were no restrictions as claimed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, why were political leaders still in captivity. Further, he sought to know why people aren't allowed to visit Jammu and Kashmir freely and why the educational institutions there are shut.
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“The atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir is one of fear, and since it became a union territory, the Centre has been threatening the local administration,” Azad claimed.
On the situation in Jammu, he said contrary to popular perception, the transporters and the businessmen, who depend on the Valley for their business, are facing a sharp dip in their income.
He said the people in the Valley have resorted to a kind of civil disobedience by not allowing public transport of any kind to enter their areas. “They are protesting in a Gandhian way. They may be hurting themselves in this, but their action shows their resentment towards the decisions of the Modi government,” he said.
Azad was able to visit Jammu and Kashmir after the Supreme Court, which he had petitioned, allowed him to go there. The Congress leader said he might submit a report on his visit to the apex court.
