Omar Abdullah says tourists spots closed after Pahalgam attack need to be reopened
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said his government's efforts to bring back tourists to the Union territory can work only after the tourist spots closed in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack are reopened.
"First, we have to reopen those places which have been shut. We did not shut these places in 35 years. When the militancy was at its peak, Drang or Doodhpathri were not closed, the upper areas of Gulmarg were not shut, Aru valley was not closed," he told reporters here.
Abdullah said some courage is needed to be shown and open tourist spots and promote them effectively.
Addressing criticism that his government was focusing too much on tourism, the chief minister said, "We are trying at our own level despite the fact that we are subjected to taunts that why are we doing so much tourism promotion?
"We know that homes of lakhs of people depend on it and we want tourism to be restored to the level that was there before the Pahalgam attack."
The chief minister said his government has sent teams outside the country to promote tourism, pointing out that a big delegation is in Singapore to restore tourism from Southeast Asia. They will also go to Berlin and London next month for tourism promotion, he added.
"If we talk about within the country, Nasir (Aslam Wani) had recently gone to Udaipur for promotions. We are not leaving any stone unturned . I cannot say that the Centre has not supported us, but, the reality is that unfortunately, we are talking in two voices from within J-K.
"On one hand, the elected government talks about tourism promotion, but on the other, the unelected government has kept a large part of Kashmir closed for tourism," he said.
Abdullah said if they is afraid to reopen famous resorts like Doodhpathri, Drang and some parts of Gulmarg, "it means there is danger. That is the reason the tourists are not coming."
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Attacks on Christians contradict PM's message of harmony, visit to church: Gehlot
Jaipur (PTI): Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday expressed concern over the reported attacks and disruptions in prayer gatherings of the Christian community in different parts of the country, saying such incidents were "worrying and condemnable".
In a post on X, Gehlot said that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting a church and giving a message of peace and harmony, news of attacks on members of the Christian community from various regions reflected a serious contradiction.
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"Symbolic gestures would not be enough, and strict legal action was required against those spreading hatred," the senior Congress leader said.
He added that Indian culture has always upheld the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", where every citizen has full freedom to practise their faith.
Gehlot urged the Centre and state governments to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no citizen is forced to celebrate their festival under fear.
