‘No differences between NC, INDIA bloc’
*No reason to deny Statehood
Excelsior Correspondent
CHENNAI, Sept 13: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said security has been intensified at all tourist destinations following Pahalgam attack in Kashmir and that most of the tourists spots have reopened.
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“The Government is taking all necessary precautions to encourage more tourists to visit Jammu and Kashmir for holidays and film producers and directors for filmshoots,” Omar said at a media interaction here on the sidelines of a function.
He said: “We conducted a comprehensive security audit of all our tourist destinations. Some of them, even at this moment, are not open for tourism activity. However, most places have reopened, and we are taking all necessary precautions.”
He said the number of people from Tamil Nadu coming to Jammu and Kashmir should increase not only for political reasons but also for film shootings and tourism.
He said efforts must be made to strengthen relationship between the northern and southern States.
“In fact, one of the challenges that my Government has taken upon itself is to try and improve the links and connections between the States south of the Vindhyas and Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, we hope that in the months and years ahead, we will see more film shootings from this part of the country and more people coming to Jammu and Kashmir for their holidays,” Omar said.
Reiterating the demand for Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said law and order should be responsibility of the elected Government.
“Jammu and Kashmir has been promised full Statehood by the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and other representatives of the Central Government when this matter was being argued before the Supreme Court. So there is no reason why this promise should not be kept. Again, this is something that should have already happened. We believe that this promise must be honoured,” Omar said.
Responding to a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur, Omar said he thinks it is a good thing as there has been a lot of commentary about the fact that Modi avoided travelling to that part of the country, particularly after the violence that broke out in 2023.
“It is good that he is visiting. We hope that peace and calm are restored”, he said.
Asserting that there are no differences between the National Conference and the INDIA bloc, the J&K CM said the NC remains part of it.
“The Congress Party is part of the alliance in J&K Government, though for their own reasons, they are not participating in the Government at the moment. They have said they will join the Government once Statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
On Indo-Pak cricket match on Sunday (September 14), Omar said: “Our problem has always been bilateral cricket matches. I do not think we have ever had a problem with multilateral ones, being part of large tournaments. If I understand correctly, this game is part of a tournament. It is not part of a bilateral series between the two countries. If this is a start and things can go in a positive trajectory from there, nothing like it.” On the arrest of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under PSA, Omar said whatever complaints there may have been about the conduct of the MLA, the law that has been used to detain him is, a misuse of that law, and an excessive use of force against an elected representative.
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