Cong demands govt statement on J&K advisory

Congress on Friday demanded a reply from the government in Lok Sabha on the security advisory asking Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to leave Kashmir as soon as possible. As the House was debating the Dam Safety Bill, leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue of the security advisory.

"As we sit here, news from outside says a security advisory has been issued ... the government should make a statement," he said. Meenakshi Lekhi, who was in the Chair, however, asked the members to continue the discussion on Dam Safety bill.

Lekhi said the matter would be looked into and the debate should be allowed to continue. The Jammu and Kashmir administration asked Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to immediately cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible in the wake of intelligence inputs of "specific terror threats" to the pilgrimage..