"Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has been detained at Jammu airport. This is unfortunate and BJP criticises it strongly," said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain.
Terming the decision as "undemocratic", Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi alleged "it shows that the state government does not want the truth about the Kishtwar violence to come out."
"Heard that Shri Arun Jaitley and other Opposition leaders are not allowed to go to Kishtwar. This is undemocratic," Modi tweeted.
Accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of failing to protect the minorities in the state, Hussain said, "The Omar government has failed to handle the situation."
The BJP leader said his party had alerted and warned the state government earlier of the impending situation when Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj talked to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
He said Jaitley is leader of Opposition and holds a Constitutional post and had gone there to assess the situation in Kishtwar and appeal to the people to restore peace.
"What if the Home Minister or Prime Minister of the country wants to visit the area, how can the state government stop them from visiting the state," he said.
"The J&K government is detaining nationalists and allowing anti-nationals to move around freely in the state," Hussain alleged, adding, "Government of India should take cognizance of this".