Rahul Gandhi, other Indian opposition leaders not allowed to visit Srinagar

NEW DELHI: Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and eleven other opposition leaders were sent back to Delhi after they landed at Srinagar airport on Saturday, said Indian media.

Restrictions have been imposed in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir since the Modi government withdrew its special status earlier this month.

Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma were the other senior Congress leaders other than Rahul Gandhi who flew to occupied Kashmir.

Mr Azad was twice stopped at Srinagar airport, most recently on Tuesday, and was “forcibly” sent back to Delhi both times.

Among the parties that were part of the opposition’s all-party delegation that landed at Srinagar were Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Trinamool Congress and the DMK.

They had planned to visit other parts of the state. So far, the government has not allowed any political leader to enter the state.

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Speaking to the media while leaving for Srinagar earlier in the day, Gandhi had said they are visiting the area just to analyze the current situation.

“If we were stopped from visiting Srinagar, then it will be clear that government is hiding something”, he said.