New Delhi, Sep 16:
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was allowed on Monday by the Supreme Court to visit Jammu and Kashmir, said it will be a “humanitarian” trip to reach out to the common people of his state, and he will submit a report to the apex court on his return. Azad also alleged that the state administration and the Central government were not bothered about the people. The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Azad to visit four districts — Srinagar, Jammu, Baramulla, Anantnag — of the state to meet people, but said he cannot hold any political rally. The former J-K chief minister said he will visit Kashmir on a
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humanitarian basis but didn’t tell as to when. Azad said he is concerned about the communication lines being disrupted in Jammu and Kashmir, but is more worried about the common people and how they were earning their livelihood. For those lakhs of people, I had put in this request because the state government has put all representatives, party leaders from Kashmir Valley and also in Jammu under detention,” he said, but added that no BJP leader had been detained. They (politicians) cannot raise their voices so who will speak for the people? The government is not bothered about this section, so I put in the request before the Supreme Court,” the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha told reporters here.
He said he had made efforts to visit Jammu and Kashmir twice but was sent back from the Srinagar airport and the Jammu airport on both occasions.
“I mentioned in the petition that I am not going to meet family members. I will visit Kashmir on a humanitarian basis,” Azad said.
“I am thankful to the Supreme Court for permitting me to travel to Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Jammu districts. Whatever report I get from there I will present it before the SC and probably then they can tell the government if there is a way to arrange for food for these people,” he said.
On Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s statement that if need be he would himself visit J&K to see the situation there, Azad said, “I am very happy and I think so should be everybody in the Kashmir Valley. No less than the CJI has shown his concern and he has felt that he himself should go to Kashmir and see for himself how the things are moving.”
Later At a Congress briefing, party leader Rajiv Shukla welcomed the CJI statement.
“He is also apprehensive about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and he wants to undertake the visit to the state. I think his statement is very positive…it is a welcome statement, everybody should appreciate it,” Shukla said.
On SC allowing Azad to visit the state, Shukla said, “The court has taken the right decision, as he has worked hard in the state and is son of the soil, who has initiated a lot of development in the state during his rule,” he said.
