There is atmosphere of fear in J&K, never seen such panic, requesting PM not to do this: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said the government’s advisory on Friday, asking Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and tourists to leave Kashmir as soon as possible, has created chaos and confusion among people. The former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister also said due to the recent developments here, there is an atmosphere of fear among people which she had never seen before.

“Due to recent developments here, there is an atmosphere of fear. I have never seen such panic. On one side, Governor Sahib says that the situation is normal and on the other side, deployment of additional forces is being done,” she said at a press conference on Friday night.

Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti: The PM talks of winning the hearts of people of J&K. Then, why are such rumours doing the rounds. The Amarnath yatris & tourists are being sent back. But, you are not thinking where the Kashmiris, people of Jammu and Ladakh will go? https://t.co/JaUW5hVA5C

— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2019

Mufti so appealed to PM Narendra Modi not to tinker with special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“This is some sort of a psychological war. There are reports of tinkering with special status of Jammu and Kashmir. With folded hands, I am appealing to the people of India and the PM that this should not happen. J&K had decided to go with India on these constitutional guarantees and today, it seems these guarantees are being trampled upon,” she said.

“It seems that the government is treating J&K as a territory. The territory is already with you. The people in Kashmir have given so many lives for their identity. Mufti Sahab had gone ahead and decided to form the government with the BJP thinking Modi ji will help the people,” Mufti added.

Earlier in the day, the National Conference also reacted strongly to the security advisory.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the directive would do nothing to dampen the sense of fear that is prevailing in the Valley.

"Although this unprecedented order would seem to suggest a genuine fear of a massive terror strike directed at Amarnath ji yatris or/and tourists this will do nothing to dampen the sense of fear & foreboding that prevails in the valley at the moment," Abdullah said in a series of tweets.

The comments come after the Jammu and Kashmir administration asked Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to immediately cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible in the wake of intelligence inputs of "specific terror threats" to the pilgrimage.

"Seriously? You think an official order telling tourists to leave immediately will not cause them to run from the valley as fast as they can? Which tourist will hang around after seeing this order. The airport & highway will be choked with people leaving," he tweeted.

Former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal asked if the administration was going to issue a separate advisory for the locals of Kashmir.

"JK Govt has asked Tourists and Amarnath Yatris to leave Kashmir immediately in view of a security threat. Is the Government considering any such advisory for locals also?" he asked. "Should Kashmiris also migrate to other places or is it that our lives do not matter?"