June 20, 2018 TnH Global 1

Bad luck for tourism follows after the Govt. collapsed in J&K

With the collapse of BJP-PDP Alliance, Mehbooba Mufti quits as the CM of J&K and the state has been declared under Governor Rule making it a worse condition for tourism in the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday withdrew from the coalition it had formed with the People’s Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision was announced by party general secretary Ram Madhav after BJP’s J&K lawmakers had a meeting with Amit Shah in Delhi. Soon after the announcement, the state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti submitted her resignation to state governor N.N. Vohra.

“Restoring peace in Kashmir and encouraging fast development in Jammu and Kashmir, these were the objectives with which we joined with the PDP,” Madhav said at a press conference. “We have taken a decision, it is untenable for BJP to continue in alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, hence we are withdrawing.”

The two parties have had several differences in the recent past, most recently after the Centre did not extend the unilateral ceasefire it had called in the state during Ramzan. Mehbooba had asked for the ceasefire, and the state BJP had said that it did not support the idea.

Following the President’s approval, Governor NN Vohra will be presiding over the state. He’s doing do for the fourth time, having overseen governor’s rule in 2008, 2015 and 2016. Vohra was set to complete his second term in a few days, but is now set to continue in Raj Bhavan at least till the conclusion of ‘Amarnath Yatra’ on August 26.

After concluding his consultations with all the major political parties in the state, governor Vohra forwarded his report to the President of India for imposition of governor’s rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the eighth time that central rule is being imposed in the sensitive state in the last four decades, and the fourth time since Vohra took charge as Governor in 2008.

This major movement in the political and mayhem of J&K will surely make a difficult position for the tourism industry of the state. The 64th TAAI convention was held in March this year and during the opening address the then CM Mehbooba Mufti said that the convention was a great opportunity for the tourism industry of J&K. The convention also promised a significant growth in the industry but this break of alliance will certainly have a bad effect on the tourism of Kashmir.

The Centre had announced the suspension of operations at the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan on May 17 and had said the decision was being taken in the interests of the peace loving people of the state, in order to provide them a conducive atmosphere during the fasting month. According to officials, there were 18 incidents of terror between April 17 and May 17 this year and the figure rose to above 50 during the suspension of operations.

The suspension of operations saw brutal killings which included that of an army soldier by militants, attacks on civilians propagating moderate approach and gunning down of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was a strong voice of peace, they said.