‘Nothing more anti-national’

Indian Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, whose brother Rahul Gandhi was turned away from Srinagar airport on Saturday, ripped into the authorities yesterday in a series of tweets.

There is nothing more "political and anti-national" than denying Kashmiris their democratic rights, she wrote. The Congress had vehemently opposed the government's move to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split the state in two union territories that took place earlier this month on august 05.

In her posts, Priyanka Gandhi enclosed a video clip of a distraught woman speaking to Rahul Gandhi about the problems she is facing.

"How long is this going to continue? This is one out of millions of people who are being silenced and crushed in the name of "Nationalism," she tweeted.

In another tweet she said: "there is NOTHING more 'political' and 'anti national' than the shutting down of all democratic rights that is taking place in Kashmir. It is the duty of every one of us to raise our voices against it, we will not stop doing so."

Rahul Gandhi had planned to visit Jammu and Kashmir to survey the ground situation following a Twitter exchange with Governor Satya Pal Malik. But he and the other opposition leaders were turned away from Srinagar airport by the administration.

Rahul said it proved that the situation in Kashmir valley was not normal as claimed by the authorities.

Meanwhile, communication curbs in Kashmir have been eased to some extent and landline telephone services restored in most places across the Valley in view of the improving situation, officials said yesterday. However, mobile telephone services and internet, including BSNL's Broadband and private leased-line internet, remain unavailable. Markets across Kashmir were also remained shut for the 21st consecutive day.