As tourists scramble to leave J&K after 26 people, including six tourists from Maharashtra, were killed by terrorists near Pahalgam, a tussle has broken out within the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra over claiming credit for bringing back tourists from the state desperate to catch flights home.
Late Thursday evening, Maharashtra CMO issued a statement announcing that around 500 stranded tourists have been brought back to Maharashtra from J&K. The CMO also informed that the Maharashtra government will send a special flight on Friday to bring back around 232 tourists, majority of them from Akola and Amravati districts.
However, hours after CMO’s statement announcing the return of around 500 tourists, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s office released another statement claiming that the Shiv Sena has brought back 520 tourists to Mumbai on special flights.
“Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself went to Kashmir and tried to bring back as many tourists stranded there as possible. Accordingly, so far 520 tourists have returned to Mumbai in four flights arranged by the Shiv Sena,” it said.
“The first flight of a private company, Star Airlines, took off for Mumbai at 1 am (Thursday) carrying passengers from J&K. It brought 75 tourists to Mumbai. Meanwhile, 370 tourists returned to Mumbai in two Akasa Air flights that left Srinagar at 2 pm and 5 pm today (Thursday). One flight landed in Mumbai at 7 pm today and the second flight at around 9 pm. Special buses have been arranged by the Shiv Sena to take the returned passengers home,” it added.
The statement further claimed that another Star Airlines flight landed in Mumbai at 8 pm on Thursday night and 75 more passengers will return to Mumbai late at night. “With this, 520 passengers have been successfully brought to Mumbai safely by the Shiv Sena,” it said.
Shinde, who reached Srinagar on Wednesday night, released videos on Thursday, which show him personally overlooking the departure of tourists on flights. “Shinde oversaw their (tourists) transfer from the hotels to the airport. To lift their spirits, he engaged them in friendly conversation and even joined them for a special group photograph,” a statement released by Shinde’s office said. Shinde personally met the group, reassured them and accompanied them to the aircraft, it added.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too released a video, in which state Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan, who has been sent to Srinagar by the state government to coordinate efforts to bring back tourists from Maharashra, is speaking to the CM over a video call. The video shows injured tourists being treated by doctors. Fadnavis also spoke to doctors and thanked them.
Mhaske landed in a controversy after he remarked that thanks to Shinde, those who had never travelled by flight could do so. “Government is helping, but we too know our responsibility and brought 75 tourists yesterday by a special flight. Around 185 tourists came on Thursday afternoon and 185 tourists will come by night. There are 45 tourists from Wardha and Nagpur, who had gone there by trains and are staying in a CRPF camp,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, while Fadnavis assigned Mahajan to go to J&K to ensure smooth return of the stranded tourists, by evening Shinde also left for Srinagar in a chartered plane.
The Opposition slammed the state government for playing politics over the issue. “At a time when we in the Opposition are ready to co-operate with the ruling party on how to deal with terror in J&K, the allies in Maharashtra government are trying to compete with each other on efforts to bring back stranded tourists from the state. While Fadnavis asked Mahajan to go to J&K to coordinate efforts, Shinde also rushing to Srinagar unnecessarily shows the rift in the state government. At least during times like this, the politics of overshadowing each other should be kept aside,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.
“We do have questions over J&K, the Centre’s way of tackling things, capability of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. But we will raise these issues at the appropriate time. But what we are seeing in Maharashtra is unfortunate,” Raut added.
The NCP (SP) slammed Mhaske. “Does he even understand what is he talking? Is he doing a favour by bringing people back? The flights arranged are from people’s tax. We condemn the language used by the Lok Sabha MP,” said Rohini Khadse, state unit chief of the party’s women wing.