The BJP was divided over the Hurriyat inviting tourists to Kashmir this winter. Whereas Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma of the BJP hailed the separatists’ appeal, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav rebuffed them for what he called was their “hypocrisy”.
Asking the separatists to shun the path of hailing terrorists and destabilising the Kashmir peace process, Madhav said in Jammu that he thought the Hurriyat has invited terrorists and not tourists.
Madhav contended: “There has been some spelling mistakes in the invitation extended by them.” He said that tourism and hartal calendars cannot go together.
Mahesh Sharma, on the other hand, said the separatists’ assurance will ensure that tourism will pick up, especially pilgrimage tourism. Minister of State for Home Affairs,Kiren Rijiju also gave a positive statement by saying that everyone should promote tourism in Jammu and Kashmir as it was the main source of the economy.
The joint separatist leadership comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik recently in a surprise statement invited tourists and yatris to the Kashmir valley and explore the traditional hospitality of the people there.