Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

When can I come to J-K Maalik ji: Rahul to J-K Guv

August 14, 2019 14:13 IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday repeated his demand to visit Jammu and Kashmir and asked governor Satya Pal Malik when he could come.

Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo

He said he had accepted Malik's invitation to visit J&K and meet people without any conditions and termed the governor's reply "feeble".

"Dear Maalik (sic) ji, I saw your feeble reply to my tweet.

"I accept your invitation to visit Jammu & Kashmir and meet the people, with no conditions attached. When can I come?" he said.

 

On Tuesday, Malik had lashed out at Gandhi for putting "pre-conditions" for a visit to Kashmir Valley and alleged he was trying to "create unrest" by seeking to bring a delegation of opposition leaders.

Following remarks by Gandhi that there have been reports of violence in Kashmir, Malik had said on Monday he will send him an aircraft to visit the Valley and observe the ground situation.

Gandhi has put forth many conditions for the visit, including meeting mainstream leaders under detention, the governor said in a statement.

Hitting back at the governor for "taking a U-turn" on his offer, the Congress said he should stand by his word.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said Malik's invitation to Rahul Gandhi to visit the state was a "tool of propaganda" and never sincere.

He said alleging that Rahul Gandhi has put conditions is rubbish, as he only asked for freedom to meet everyone, including soldiers.

"J&K Governor's invitation to Rahul Gandhi was never a sincere invitation. It was a tool of propaganda.To say that Rahul Gandhi put conditions is rubbish. Rahul Gandhi asked for freedom to meet everyone, including soldiers. How is that putting conditions?," he asked on Twitter.

"Can a visitor not ask for freedom to meet different sections of the people and to enquire about the welfare of the soldiers?," he further asked.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.