Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress JK chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir who were earlier detained at the Srinagar airport are being sent back to New Delhi as the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir slowly returns back to normalcy after the momentous decision taken by the government to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcate the state into two union territories.
#UPDATE: Congress MP and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad is being sent back to Delhi. J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir and he were stopped at Srinagar airport today. https://t.co/znTJIonHwN
— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2019
The Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir were stopped just at the exit of the Srinagar airport. Azad and Mir were expected to meet the Congress cadres and leaders in the Valley who have been incommunicado since the imposition of Section 144 in the state along with the suspension of communication links.
Azad stated that he is going to the Kashmir to be a part of the ‘sadness’ that has crept over the state after the government took the “murderous decision” of bifurcating the state and repealing Article 370. He said that it is perhaps for the first time in the history of Independent India that all 22 districts in Jammu and Kashmir have been lockdown simultaneously.
Earlier today, Ghulam Nabi Azad had insinuated that the Kashmiris are a tradeable commodity as he stated that locals in Shopian who were seen yesterday dining out with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were paid for the charade.
Congress is facing a divide within in its own ranks as there are two distinct factions over the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. While one has manifestly protested against the government’s decision regarding the state, the other too has come out and supported the central government for the true integration of the state with the union and the annulment of the partition relic. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora, Deepender Hooda, Janardhan Dwivedi have welcomed the government’s decision. Congress’ chief whip Bhubaneswar Kalita resigned from Rajya Sabha because he was upset over Congress’ stand to oppose Centre’s move to dilute Article 370. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka avoided making an outright condemnation of the government move but they expressed their displeasure over the way the decision was implemented.
