Any Indian can visit Kashmir without fear now: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar at Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati Mandal in Pune, on Tuesday. Pic/X

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated on Tuesday that any Indian can now visit Jammu and Kashmir without fear. His comment came in response to Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde's remark that during his tenure as Union Home Minister, even he felt scared while visiting Srinagar's Lal Chowk.

Ajit Pawar emphasised on the frequent visits to the region by national leaders, including the prime minister (PM) and home minister, while speaking about the change in the Valley. "After the Pulwama terror attack, the government didn't just watch but took strong countermeasures. The people appreciated it. Now, as elections approach, anyone can visit Kashmir without fear," Pawar said.

He also highlighted the change in the atmosphere at Lal Chowk, noting that, in the past, raising the Indian flag there was nearly impossible, but now the tricolour flies proudly. He added that various festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Dussehra, Christmas, and Eid are celebrated openly in the Valley.

Ajit Pawar made these comments after performing 'aarti' at the Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati Mandal, news agency PTI reported.

Piyush Goyal takes jibe at Congress

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Piyush Goyal took a swipe at the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, referring to Shinde's statement. In a post on X, Goyal remarked, "During Congress rule, even the Home Minister feared visiting Kashmir. Now, under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, the nation's security is so strong that even opposition leaders can enjoy the snow in Kashmir without fear."

During the launch of his memoir 'Five Decades of Politics' on Monday at the India International Centre in Delhi, Shinde said that when he used to visit Kashmir's Lal Chowk and Dal Lake in Srinagar as the Home Minister, he used to get scared but was unable to share his fears with anyone despite getting good publicity for his visits.

"Before I became the home minister, I visited him (educationist Vijay Dhar). I used to ask him for advice. He advised me to not roam around but to visit Lal Chowk (in Srinagar), meet people and go around Dal Lake. That advice gave me publicity and people thought that here is a home minister who goes there without any fear. But who do I tell that I was scared? I told you this just to make you laugh, but an ex-policeman can't speak like this," he said.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)