BJP condemns MP Ruhullah’s remarks on Kashmir tourism

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday criticised National Conference (NC) MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, for his controversial statement that “tourism in Kashmir is cultural invasion.”

Ruhullah’s remarks, made during a podcast, quickly went viral on social media in Jammu and Kashmir, drawing widespread condemnation.

Sunil Sethi, chief spokesperson for Jammu and Kashmir BJP, condemned Ruhullah’s statement, labelling it as detrimental and dangerous to the region’s tourism industry. He questioned whether the National Conference supported Ruhullah’s “fear politics” and whether the party would take action against the MP for his remarks.

Sethi argued, “The statement made by MP Ruhullah that tourism causes cultural invasion in Kashmir is harmful to the region’s peace and progress. It is a dangerous sentiment for a democratic society. Is this the new political strategy of National Conference, which has historically thrived on fear-based politics? The NC should clarify whether it stands by this statement.”

Emphasising the importance of tourism to Kashmir’s economy, Sethi highlighted that the revival of the tourism sector had contributed significantly to the prosperity of the region, improving the lives of the local population. “Tourism is the backbone of the Kashmir economy. Its revival has brought prosperity to Kashmir and made life easier for the people,” he stated.

He added that Ruhullah’s statement was aimed at terrorising the tourism sector and harming the economy that relies on it.