'When Can I Come?': Rahul Gandhi Accepts J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik's Invitation To Visit State

On Tuesday, Malik had lashed out at Gandhi for putting "pre-conditions" for a visit to Kashmir Valley and alleged he was trying to "create unrest" by seeking to bring a delegation of opposition leaders.

(File Photo by MONEY SHARMA / AFP)

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accepted Governor Satya Pal Malik's invitation to visit Jammu & Kashmir. He said he would meet the people with no conditions attached. On Twitter Rahul wrote "Dear Maalik ji, I saw your feeble reply to my tweet. I accept your invitation to visit Jammu & Kashmir and meet the people, with no conditions attached. When can I come?"

Dear Maalik ji,

I saw your feeble reply to my tweet. I accept your invitation to visit Jammu & Kashmir and meet the people, with no conditions attached. When can I come? — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 14, 2019

On Tuesday, Malik had lashed out at Gandhi for putting "pre-conditions" for a visit to Kashmir Valley and alleged he was trying to "create unrest" by seeking to bring a delegation of opposition leaders. Earlier on Monday, following remarks by Gandhi on that there have been reports of violence in Kashmir, Governor Malik invited Gandhi to visit Jammu and Kashmir, saying he would send an aircraft for him. The statement came after the Congress leader said, "People were dying in the state and the situation was not normal as claimed by the government." The governor had also said there was no communal angle in scrapping provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "Scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35-A was for everyone. There is no communal angle (for scrapping it) in Leh, Kargil, Jammu, Rajouri-Poonch and not here either (Kashmir). There is no communal angle to it," he said. Malik said that the issue was being fanned by some people but they were not successful in it. "Foreign press has made an attempt (of wrong reportage) and we have warned them. All hospitals are open for you and if even a single person has been hit by a bullet, prove it. But only four people were hit by pellets in legs when there was violence by youths and there were no serious injuries to anyone," he said. Replying to a question about allegations that Kashmir has been turned into a concentration camp, the governor said that despite being educated, people don't know the meaning of a concentration camp. "I know what it is. I have gone to jail 30 times. Even then, I will not term it as a concentration camp. They (Congress) imprisoned people for one-and-half-years during Emergency, but nobody termed them concentration camps. Is preventative arrest (equal to) a concentration camp," he asked. (agency inputs) ALSO WATCH: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman To Get Vir Chakra On Independence Day 2019