Modi government changed nothing: Omar Abdullah reacts to US advisory on J&K travel

In the revised advisory, the US asked its nationals not to travel to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and parts of central and eastern parts of the country where Naxalites are active.

Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and head of the National Conference, on Thursday reacted to the revised US travel advisory for its nationals.

The revised advisory asks US nationals not to travel to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and parts of central and eastern parts of the country where Naxalites are active.

"So much for ‘naya J&K’," he said on X, adding that for "all the talk of normalcy, peace, tourism & the G-20 tamasha in Srinagar", the US government was still targeting Jammu and Kashmir in its travel advisories.

Taking a dig at the Centre, Abdullah added, "The Modi government has been able to change nothing."

In his post, he also quoted part of the advisory, which said “In asking US citizens to not visit Jammu and Kashmir, the advisory points to ‘terrorist attacks' and ‘violent civil unrest,’ as well as ‘sporadic violence’ between the Indian and Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC).”

The US State Department in the revision further added "Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism. Some areas have increased risk."

The advisory continued, "Indian authorities report that rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has happened at tourist sites and other locations. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities," adding, "The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas. These areas stretch from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal. The US government employees must get special authorisation to travel to these areas."

While India overall has been placed at Level 2 - which translates to 'Exercise Increased Caution' as per the US State Department, several parts of the country including Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, Manipur and parts of Central and East India have been placed at Level 4 - translating to 'Do not travel'.

(With PTI inputs)