JK: Omar slams LG administration for 'stopping' Mehbooba, Sajad Lone from visiting family of ex-Hurriyat chief

Srinagar, Sep 18 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday criticised the lieutenant governor's administration for allegedly stopping PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone from visiting the family of former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat.

Bhat died at his Sopore residence on Wednesday evening after a prolonged illness.

Mehbooba and Lone claimed they were put under house arrest and barred from visiting Bhat's family in Sopore.

"They were going there to offer condolences. Are the security people in Kashmir so worried that they will not permit us to offer condolences?" Abdullah told reporters in Gulmarg.

The chief minister said their visit to Sopore would not have created a storm.

"On one hand we say everything is fine, that the situation is very good and a new Jammu-Kashmir has been established, but we do not trust our own people. What would have happened if Mufti or Lone had gone there? It would not have created a storm, they would have gone there to offer condolences, pray, share a few words with Bhat's family and return," he said.

The CM added "this is not a right thing for Jammu and Kashmir".

To a question about several tourist destination continuing to remain shut for visitors in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the CM said the decision was "strange".

"Steps should have been taken long back (to reopen them). This is very strange that on one hand we go outside and talk about bringing tourists here, but on the other hand, the government has kept many destinations shut," he said.

Abdullah said the tourism promotion campaign run by his government will not bear any fruit as long as popular tourist spots in the valley are not fully thrown open for visitors.

"Tell us to stop tourism promotion...then let the government compensate the stakeholders. They are saying worldwide that Kashmir is normal. But what proof of normalcy is this? What happened in Pahalgam should not have happened. But steps were taken after that," he said.

The CM said time has come to reopen all those destinations.

"If we are not reopening them, then we should be told and we will stop tourism promotion. Because, both things cannot go hand-in-hand.," he added.

Without naming LG Manoj Sinha, Abdullah said those responsible for the security in J&K should gradually reopen such destinations.

"It would be better that those people who are responsible for the security, who accept that J-K's security is their responsibility, should reopen these destinations one by one," he said. PTI SSB KVK KVK