Srinagar:
The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party reacted strongly to the security advisory on Friday asking Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to leave Kashmir as soon as possible. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the directive would do nothing to dampen the sense of fear that is prevailing in the Valley.
"Although this unprecedented order would seem to suggest a genuine fear of a massive terror strike directed at Amarnath ji yatris or/and tourists this will do nothing to dampen the sense of fear & foreboding that prevails in the valley at the moment," Abdullah said in a series of tweets.
Although this unprecedented order would seem to suggest a genuine fear of a massive terror strike directed at Amarnath ji yatris or/and tourists this will do nothing to dampen the sense of fear & foreboding that prevails in the valley at the moment. https://t.co/qF99X0nAx6
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 2, 2019
The comments come after the Jammu and Kashmir adminstration asked Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to immediately cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible in the wake of intelligence inputs of "specific terror threats" to the pilgrimage.
"Seriously? You think an official order telling tourists to leave immediately will not cause them to run from the valley as fast as they can? Which tourist will hang around after seeing this order. The airport & highway will be choked with people leaving," he tweeted.
First the avalanche of private orders about stocking up supplies that somehow made their way into public domain. And now news like this will create panic & distress. So far, GOI’s resorted to military might & psychological warfare like techniques vis a vis J&K. Neither will work pic.twitter.com/wKqdTylWcH
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 2, 2019
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the Centre had resorted to "military might" and techniques like "psychological warfare" in the state.
"First the avalanche of private orders about stocking up supplies that somehow made their way into public domain. And now news like this will create panic & distress," Mufti tweeted.
"So far, GOI's resorted to military might & psychological warfare like techniques vis a vis J&K. Neither will work," she added.
Former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal asked if the administration was going to issue a separate advisory for the locals of Kashmir.
"JK Govt has asked Tourists and Amarnath Yatris to leave Kashmir immediately in view of a security threat. Is the Government considering any such advisory for locals also?" he asked. "Should Kashmiris also migrate to other places or is it that our lives do not matter?"
Why was Parliament not taken into confidence?: Left parties
Left parties hit out at the government, saying Parliament should have been taken into confidence before sending out such a missive.
In a tweet, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also alleged that rumours were being allowed to fester in Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir government asked the Amarnath pilgrims and tourists on Friday to immediately make necessary arrangements to cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible in the wake of intelligence inputs of "specific terror threats" to the pilgrimage.
"Parliament is in session. Why isn't the PM taking the House into confidence? The panic and rumours allowed to fester in J&K are helping nobody," Yechury said in the tweet.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader also tagged a news report about the security advisory issued by the Jammu and Kashmir government along with his tweet.
Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said terrorism was an issue that concerned the entire nation, all political parties spoke in one voice on it and the government was duty-bound to inform Parliament about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Terrorism is not a partisan issue. The government should tell Parliament as well as the nation what is really happening there. In the struggle against terrorism, the country stands as one. The government should take all political parties into confidence. It is a common fight, common concern," he said.
