Azad stopped at Srinagar airport

Authorities on Thursday detained Congress party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad at Srinagar airport and disallowed him to enter the city after he arrived from New Delhi, sources said.

They said Azad had arrived here to take stock of the situation and hold meetings with state Congress leaders over the situation which has emerged in Kashmir after security lockdown since midnight of Sunday.

"Azad was asked to return to Delhi," sources added.

The Congress leader told reporters in New Delhi that he was going to Srinagar as people of Jammu and Kashmir were sad and he wanted to be with them.

"Probably for the first time, all 22 districts (in J&K) have seen a curfew. Have you heard of this before?" he asked.

Azad implied that the visuals showing National Security Adviser Ajit Doval chatting with locals in Srinagar and sharing a meal with them on a street - seen to be an attempt to convey that the situation was returning to normal.

"You can pay anyone to get these done," the Congress leader said.