New Delhi:Jammu and Kashmir LIVE Updates: Rahul Gandhi and the delegation of opposition leaders who attempted to visit Srinagar on Saturday to meet people and assess situation in Kashmir Valley were sent back from Srinagar International Airport. Restrictions have been in place in J&K since August 5 after the Centre withdrew special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation included leaders from Congress, CPI-M, CPI, RJD, NCP, TMC and DMK.

The leaders who took a flight to Srinagar were Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma. CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, RJD’s Manoj Jha and Dinesh Trivedi from TMC were also part of the delegation that left for Srinagar around noon from Delhi airport.
Senior Congress leaders were huddled in a meeting on Friday evening to discuss the issue within the party.

The sources said the leaders also intend to visit some other parts of the state, if allowed to enter. So far, the government has not allowed any political leader to enter the state ever since provisions of Article 370 were abrogated by the Centre.

Leaders of regional parties, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have been put under house arrest. Congress MP Azad was not allowed to enter the state and was stopped twice, both at Srinagar and Jammu.

Earlier, Raja was also stopped at Srinagar airport and sent back. Rahul Gandhi had recently asked Governor Satya Pal Malik when he could come to the state and meet people without any conditions.

Congress targets Centre over J&K situation, asks what is the Modi government trying to hide if the situation in Jammu & Kashmir is “normal”.

If the situation in Jammu & Kashmir is “normal” as the govt claims, why has the delegation of Opposition leaders led by Shri @RahulGandhi been sent back from Srinagar airport?

What is the Modi govt trying to hide?Asks Rahul Gandhi in his latest Tweet.