New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad arrived on a four-day visit to Kashmir on Friday evening, days after the Supreme Court allowed him to undertake the tour of four districts in the state without holding any “political rally”.
During his visit, Azad, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, would be meeting individuals and delegations of various organisations to have an idea about the ‘problems being faced’ by them due to restrictions and communication blockade since August 5. Party sources said Azad, a former J&K Chief Minister, would be meeting various individuals and representatives of associations at a guest house in Srinagar on Sunday. He would also be visiting Anantag and Baramulla district headquarters on Saturday and Sunday, before his return to New Delhi on Monday.
The Congress leader, as per the directions, would have to submit his report to the Supreme Court.
This is for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 that Azad arrived to Srinagar following his three aborted visits to the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, including the visit when he was part of a 12-member all-party delegation led by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Azad is the first political leader who has been allowed to visit several districts of Jammu and Kashmir after August 5, when the Union government struck down the special powers granted to the state. The apex court had earlier granted permission to CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to travel to Srinagar to meet his party colleague and former legislator Yusuf Tarigami.
