Srinagar, Sept 18 (KDC): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed displeasure with tourism stakeholders at Gulmarg for not extending support to him when he came under opposition fire over the Paris tour plans.
According to sources, Omar, while addressing a closed-door gathering at the Gulmarg Convocation Centre, said he had sought inputs on the proposed Paris tour and was informed that France has traditionally remained an important market for J\&K’s tourism promotion. However, he reportedly lamented that when opposition parties launched criticism, stakeholders chose to remain silent.
The Chief Minister is also learnt to have reminded the participants that his government had undertaken several initiatives to boost tourism, ranging from international outreach to adventure events such as cycling in Pahalgam. “Despite these measures, stakeholders did not stand by me when I was politically targeted,” he reportedly remarked.
Sources further revealed that Omar expressed concern over what he described as the “selective leakage” of government orders. “I sign dozens of files daily, but only certain ones find their way into media and opposition hands,” he was quoted as saying.
Earlier, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, also addressed the gathering. Sources said he conveyed that the government was unhappy with the stakeholders’ silence on sensitive issues concerning the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, insiders hinted that both Omar Abdullah and Nasir Aslam Wani are now likely to skip the Paris tourism promotion event scheduled for next week, amid the ongoing controversy.
