Rahul Gandhi accepts Governor Satya Pal Malik's 'invitation' to visit Jammu and Kashmir, says 'need freedom, not aircraft'

We won’t need an aircraft but please ensure us the freedom to travel & meet the people, mainstream leaders and our soldiers stationed over there, tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accepted an “invitation” extended by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to visit the region, which is currently under an unprecedented security cover.

Responding to Malik’s statement wherein he said that he would send an aircraft for the former Congress chief to visit Jammu and Kashmir and see the prevailing situation for himself, Rahul Gandhi said that instead of the aircraft, he would need “freedom” to travel and meet people.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, the Gandhi scion shared a report where Malik was quoted as saying that had invited Rahul Gandhi to the Valley. The Congress leader tweeted that he would accept the “gracious invitation” and would want to meet common people, political leaders and soldiers deployed.

The tweet by the former Congress president read, “Dear Governor Malik, A delegation of opposition leaders & I will take you up on your gracious invitation to visit J&K and Ladakh. We won’t need an aircraft but please ensure us the freedom to travel & meet the people, mainstream leaders and our soldiers stationed over there.”

Malik’s invitation remark had come in response to Rahul Gandhi claiming large-scale violence in the region. Citing media reports, the Wayanad MP had claimed that “there are reports of people dying”, even as he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government to “lift the veil of secrecy”.

“Some reports have come that things in Jammu and Kashmir are going very wrong. There are reports of violence, there are reports of people dying. It is very very important that the government of India and the Prime Minister makes it very clear and transparent exactly what is happening in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” Rahul Gandhi had tweeted earlier.

“Reports of unrest are emanating from J&K where the Govt. has imposed a media & communications black out. I urge the Govt. to take urgent steps to ensure the safety of every citizen in J&K and to lift the veil of secrecy.”