Abdullah appeals to people of West Bengal to visit Kashmir

Kolkata, Jul 9 (PTI) Appealing to the people of West Bengal to visit Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the security situation there has improved.
    Abdullah made the statement after arriving in Kolkata to participate in a tourism fair.
    "The situation is not as bad as it is being portrayed here. A good number of tourists have started coming. The Amarnath Yatra has also begun, and a significant number of pilgrims are visiting the shrine via the Pahalgam and Sonmarg routes," he told reporters at the airport.
    "All the pilgrims whom I have met told me that they are happy about the situation. I have come to Kolkata to participate in a tourism fair. I want a good number of tourists from West Bengal to come to Jammu and Kashmir," he added.
    Twenty-five tourists were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
    Abdullah said he was hopeful that the security forces would soon be able to nab those behind the attack.
    "Staying here, you will not be able to understand how tough it is to find someone in the mountains. They may be able to hide for some days, but we will be able to nab them in no time. Our security forces are after them, and we will soon be able to find them," he said.
    Abdullah is scheduled to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat on Thursday.
    "Yes, I have a meeting with her tomorrow. Let the meeting happen, then we will talk about it," he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)