Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, Mar 14: Tourism Department on Saturday politicized its much hyped 'Snow festival' at Pahalgam, here in south Kashmir by inviting MLA Dooru to the function thus violating the protocol norms.
Reports said the Tourism department organized a day long snow festival at Pahalgam. Besides MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmad Wani, department invited MLA Dooru Farooq Ahmad Indrabi against the protocol norms.
Sources told Early Times that inviting MLA Dooru assembly was politically motivated move. "Department had invited horticulture Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri but when he refused to attend the function as chief guest, MLA Dooru was invited, who later attended the function," sources added."Everything in Kashmir gets automatically politicized and keeping in mind this very fact MLA who is representing the ruling party, was invited to keep a balance," the source added.According to eyewitnesses, MLA Dooru virtually behaved like Chief Guest and even briefed media on the sidelines of the function. However, a senior official pleading anonymity said that MLA was not formally invited to attend the function.Political observers in Anantnag said that Tourism Departmnet is being used to counter the former Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir.
"There is hidden agenda behind it, why tourism department only invited MLA Dooru, why not MLA Kokernag or any other," they said."Politicization of Tourism department is dangerous and it can have far reaching consequences," they added.
The MLA Dooru, Farooq Indrabi was not available for a comment, while as Director Tourism avoided repeated calls from Early Times. |
