Rahul Gandhi accepts Governor Malik’s ‘invitation’ to visit J&K
NEW DELHI : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accepted an “invitation” extended by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to visit the region, which is currently under an unprecedented security cover.
Responding to Malik’s statement wherein he said that he would send an aircraft for the former Congress chief to visit Jammu and Kashmir and see the prevailing situation for himself, Rahul Gandhi said that instead of the aircraft, he would need “freedom” to travel and meet people.
Taking to microblogging site Twitter, the Gandhi scion shared a report where Malik was quoted as saying that had invited Rahul Gandhi to the Valley. The Congress leader tweeted that he would accept the “gracious invitation” and would want to meet common people, political leaders and soldiers deployed.
The tweet by the former Congress president read, “Dear Governor Malik, A delegation of opposition leaders & I will take you up on your gracious invitation to visit J&K and Ladakh. We won’t need an aircraft but please ensure us the freedom to travel & meet the people, mainstream leaders and our soldiers stationed over there.”
Malik’s invitation remark had come in response to Rahul Gandhi claiming large-scale violence in the region. Citing media reports, the Wayanad MP had claimed that “there are reports of people dying”, even as he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government to “lift the veil of secrecy”.
“Some reports have come that things in Jammu and Kashmir are going very wrong. There are reports of violence, there are reports of people dying. It is very very important that the government of India and the Prime Minister makes it very clear and transparent exactly what is happening in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” Rahul Gandhi had tweeted earlier.
“Reports of unrest are emanating from J&K where the Govt. has imposed a media & communications black out. I urge the Govt. to take urgent steps to ensure the safety of every citizen in J&K and to lift the veil of secrecy.”
Meanwhile, Governor Malik has lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for putting “pre-conditions” for a visit to the state and alleged that he was trying to “create unrest” by seeking to bring a delegation of opposition leaders.
Following remarks by Mr Gandhi on that there have been reports of violence in Kashmir, Mr Malik on Monday had said he will send him an aircraft to visit the Valley and observe the ground situation.
Mr Gandhi has put forth many conditions for the visit, including meeting mainstream leaders under detention, the governor said in a statement. Mr Malik said he had never invited the Congress leader with “so many pre-conditions” and has referred the matter to the local police and administration for further examination.
“Rahul Gandhi is politicising the matter by seeking to bring a delegation of opposition leaders to create further unrest and problems for the common people,” he said in the statement.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi accepted Mr Malik’s “invitation” to visit the state but said he did not need an aircraft and that he and other opposition leaders would visit. The Congress leader in a tweet also urged the governor to allow them the freedom to meet the people and soldiers.
On the Congress leader’s comments on violence in Kashmir, Mr Malik said: “Rahul Gandhi is responding to fake news possibly spread from across the border about the situation in Kashmir, which is peaceful with negligible incidents.” (With Agency Inputs ).
