Srinagar, October 30: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday called on prominent opposition leaders to try visiting Kashmir as soon as possible and debunk the government’s claim about free access for all in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti termed the visit of European Union (EU) MPs as a “curated picnic” and requested opposition party leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and others to attempt reaching Kashmir and test the government’s “free access” claim.
“Now that curated picnic of far-right EUMPs is over, I request opposition party members like Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury, Sharad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Dr. P Thiaga Rajan (PTR), Priya Dutt, Yashwant Sinha, to attempt to visit Kashmir ASAP. Expose GOIs claims about free access for all to J&K,” Mufti said in a tweet.
While Mehbooba Mufti has been under house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370, she has authorised her daughter Iltija to tweet on her behalf.
Mufti further blamed the government and said: “GOI (government) has left Kashmiris in the lurch and shown disregard for their rights. But if you consider them as your own, reach out and engage with them before it’s too late.”
A number of opposition parties have slammed the government for allowing a 23-member delegation of EU MPs to visit Kashmir and assess the ground situation.
Most leaders questioned the government for allowing an unofficial foreign delegation to visit Kashmir and asked why delegations from opposition parties in India were denied entry into Kashmir.
It is worth noting that majority of the EU MPs, who visited Kashmir yesterday, were from far-right parties and at least 17 out of 23 members who visited the Valley shared nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiments.
Opposition parties also said that the EU MPs’ visit to Kashmir was nothing but a mere “PR stunt” and a national embarrassment.
However, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain countered the opposition and said nobody has stopped leaders of Congress or other parties from visiting Jammu and Kashmir as the situation has normalised.
It remains to be seen whether opposition leaders will attempt visiting the Valley at Mufti’s behest.
