New Delhi (TAN): Kashmir and Ladakh, the popular tourist destinations in northernmost India, will be made into two separate Union Territories, the country’s home minister Amit Shah announced in Parliament on Monday.
Over the past few days, tourists had been asked to leave the place, which till now is officially known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Security agencies said they feared terrorist strikes in the disturbed region.
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Last night, Internet, mobile phone service, television and other forms of communication were suspended in the region, curfew imposed and prominent political leaders were placed under house arrest.
Kashmir and Ladakh are among India’s most visited regions with spectacular mountainous landscapes. But Kashmir has for many decades also remained disturbed.
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The government’s latest move removes the special political status the state of Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed since it joined the Union of India in 1947.
The developments in the peak of the tourism season has hit the sector hard.
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