Digvijaya questions govt over US advisory against travel to J&K, Central India

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh raised concerns on Thursday regarding the safety of tourists in certain parts of India, citing a recent Level-4 travel advisory issued by the US State Department.

During a discussion on the Union Budget and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Digvijaya Singh stated, "The US State Department has updated its travel advisory, placing some parts of India under Level 4 due to rising terrorism and violent crime. This includes J&K, the Indo-Pak border, Manipur, and parts of central and eastern India."

In response, Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat dismissed these concerns, asserting that J&K has seen "significant growth" in tourism.

"I am not aware of any such advisory from the US. However, I can confirm that J&K has experienced a substantial increase in tourism following the abrogation of Article 370. Tourists are visiting without fear, and we are committed to further developing tourism in the region," Shekhawat said.

Additionally, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged members to avoid relying on newspaper reports and instead provide official documents to support their claims.

"I would not permit any newspaper report to be a basis for discussion... This House should discuss credible and authentic information," Dhankhar stated.

On Wednesday, the US State Department issued a travel advisory, labelling J&K, the Indo-Pak border, Manipur and parts of central and eastern India under their 'Level 4: Do not Travel' column.

"Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Do not travel to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest. Within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict. Portions of Central and East India due to terrorism. Manipur due to violence and crime," the advisory read.

It also recommended "reconsidering travel" to northeastern states due to "terrorism and violence."