Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been denied entry into Kashmir twice in the past, Left leader D Raja was sent back Srinagar airport and bureaucrat turned politician Shah Faesal was not allowed to go out of country however leaders of different political parties have decided to visit Srinagar to meet people amid restrictions imposed after the government withdrew special status to the state and bifurcated it into two UTs.
The state administration under governor Satya Pal Malik is requesting them to get things normalize before they undertake their visit. Opposition party delegation included leaders of the Congress, CPI-M, CPI, RJD, NCP, TMC and DMK. Congress leaders visiting Srinagar included Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma while Rahul Gandhi might be last minute entrant.
Stand of the Left Front has been very clear and they were against this kind of dominance of the centralized force over state working while TMC and DMK jointly working on the issue to oppose the BJP while RJD and NCP don’t have any ideological stand except sending across message to minority community that they care for them and the community but the J&K administration is of the view that they might derail peace and tranquility in the state.
The Congress, Left Front have some stake in Jammu and Kashmir but the BJP and PDP and NC have now bigger stake in the state. The BJP is also aware about the fact that in the present scenario none of these political parties will be able to make any dent into its vote share. These political outfits will impact each other more and if they have to make any dent into the BJP they will have to unite against it.
The war of words between former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and J&K governor continued for some time. Senior Congress leaders are even discussing the issue within the party and how to deal with the BJP’s strategy but they have not been able to reach any solution so far.
Leaders of regional parties like former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been put under house arrest. But one thing is clear that these leader will not be allowed to have a free run in the state till the government feels it is peaceful there.
