'Third attempt to mislead people': Ghulam Nabi Azad slams BJP's plans to visit J&K

Since the abrogation of Article 370, the Opposition parties including Congress have left no stones unturned in hitting out at the Central government over the Jammu and Kashmir issue. On the matter of the Union Minister's visit planned to Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the government is trying to mislead the people yet again.

"This is the third attempt by the government to mislead people of the country and the entire world. Last year also such an attempt was made and this year too, when a select few MPs from selected countries who favoured BJP ideology had visited Kashmir, but there was no result," the senior Congress leader said.

"And this time too again a few international delegates were sent but nothing happened. Main leaders are house arrested. The delegates are not allowed to meet, youth, handicraft workers, house arrested leaders", said Azad while slamming the Centre.

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"So far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, things remain worse. There is no power, there is no electricity, there no developmental work going on. Whatever little industries they had before have been shut after the Abrogation of article 370 as there is no business, added Azad while speaking with ANI. 

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'Internet only for an hour'

Speaking of the internet service been restored in Kashmir, the Congress leader recalled his recent two-day visit to Kashmir claiming that there was little to no internet at all in the region. "According to the state government, the services have already started from day before yesterday (January 17) but as a matter of fact, the internet was open only for one hour from 8 pm to 9 pm. And yesterday I was there till 5 PM but no internet services were available", said Azad.

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In the Central government's effort to normalise the situation after the abrogation of Article 370, two international delegations had visited Jammu and Kashmir. First, the MPs from the European Union had visited in the last year followed by envoys of 16 nationals visited Jammu and Kashmir earlier in January. The delegations had given positive feedback on the situation in Kashmir and said that they found normalcy returning in the union territory gradually.

On January 15, the Centre released a list of 36 Union Ministers including top cabinet ministers like Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad will visit Jammu-Kashmir later this month to spread awareness about the positive impact of abrogation of Article 370 provisions and the development measures taken by the government for the region. The visit which is coordinated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah will witness each Minister visit the Valley for 1-2 days.

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