SRI NAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik sought to assure the people about the state’s special status on Saturday, saying his administration had no knowledge of any changes being planned in the country’s constitutional provisions. “The state has no knowledge of any changes to constitutional provisions (read repeal of Articles 370 and 35A),” Malik told a delegation of National Conference leaders led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He said the additional deployment of forces was to counter the heightened threat perception.
“The deployment of additional paramilitary forces was purely for security reasons. There were credible inputs regarding militant attacks on the Amarnath yatra. The seriousness of the threat required immediate action,” Malik told the NC delegation. The Governor also said “no panic should be created by unnecessarily linking security matters with all kinds of other issues. A pure security measure is being mixed up with issues with which it has no connection.”
But the Governor’s assurance did little to calm frayed nerves in the Kashmir Valley, with chaotic scenes being witnessed in several towns and cities. People were seen stockpiling essentials, medicines, fuel, etc. There were long queues at ATMs, fuel stations and chemist shops. The panic buying led to fuel stations running dry in Srinagar and other parts.
Firdous Ahmad, a university student, said the situation was confusing. “For the first time in 30 years of militancy in the State, the government halted the Amarnath yatra and asked yatris and tourists to leave the place. It shows the situation is serious and the Central government is planning something big, maybe abrogating Article 35A, trifurcation of the state etc,” he said.
“After 30 years we are back to square one. In 1990, the then Governor Jagmohan had asked Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Valley and the community migrated to Jammu and other places in the country. Now the government has asked the tourists and yatris to leave the Valley and are forcibly evicting them,” said Abdul Aziz, an elderly resident.
The Srinagar airport and bus stands were packed with tourists and Amarnath yatris trying to leave the Valley after the government’s advisory on Friday to cut short their stay. The J&K Tourism Department requisitioned buses to bring tourists back to Srinagar, Tourism Kashmir director Nissar Wani said. “While most of them have reached Srinagar or have left the Valley, some of them are still staying. A few tourists had gone trekking in the Pahalgam area and have not yet returned to their bases. Once they return, we will tell them to leave,” he said.
Talking to reporters after meeting the Governor, Abdullah said he was not convinced by Malik’s assurances and wanted the Central government to clear the air.“We know the Governor is not the final authority. The final authority on J&K lies with the Centre. So, we want the central government to make a statement in parliament on Monday,” he said. PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti too was concerned. “There is fear in the Jammu region also. Why hasn’t anyone from the Centre assured the people that nothing is going to happen,” she asked.
Tourists, yatris leave Valley
About 20,000 tourists, domestic and foreigners, Amarnath pilgrims and non-local students of the National Institute of Technology left Kashmir on Saturday. The tourists and yatris were by either boarding flights at the Srinagar airport or were taking buses to Jammu for their onward journey to their destinations
The UK, Germany issue travel advisory
The UK and Germany issued advisories to its citizens not to travel to J&K keeping in mind the terror threat in the state. “Travelers staying in Kashmir are advised to leave,” the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The UK foreign office advised against all travel to the state with exceptions to Jammu and Ladakh