Lashing out at the Narendra Modi government over the visit of 23 members of European Parliament in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress on Wednesday said the BJP Government has insulted India’s Parliament and the country’s democratic spirit.
Addressing mediapersons at party headquarters, AICC communication in-charge, Randeeep Singh Surjewala said the country’s time tested policy over last 72 years is that Kashmir is India’s internal issue and will not accept any interference or third party mediation of any nature from any government or group of people or organisation or any individual.
“Modi Government has committed the gravest sin of reversing this policy over last three days”, Surjewala said.
Pointing out to the background of the organisation, which was organised the EU MP’s visit to Kashmir, the Congress spokesperson said over the last three days, India witnessed an immature, ill-advised and ill-conceived PR exercise of BJP Government organised by an ‘International business broker’.
“Twenty-seven members of European Parliament were brought to India by a non-descript think tank with questionable credentials to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visit Kashmir and hold press briefing. Of course, only 23 went to Kashmir on a BJP Government facilitated trip as four members of the delegation returned rom Delhi itself”, Surjewala said.
He alleged that the BJP Government has insulted India’s Parliament and country’s democratic spirit and added that “when our own members of Parliament and leaders of Opposition visit Kashmir, they are detained and deported from airport by the present BJP Government. On the other hand, BJP Government is rolling out the red carpet for a private visit by EU MPs facilitated by an unknown ‘International Business Broker’”.
“Modi Government has made a spectacle of India’s diplomacy by outsourcing diplomacy to an ‘International Business Broker’”, he further alleged.
The Congress leader asked that will the Prime Minister tell who is ‘Madi Sharma’? “What is BJP’s connection to ‘Women’s Economic and Social Think Tank’ as also to ‘International Institute for Non-aligned Studies’? Why and in what capacity is Madi Sharma fixing an appointment with the Prime Minister for a delegation of EU MPs on a personal visit and why is Government of India facilitating it? Where is the money to finance the entire visit coming from? Why has MEA been completely sidelined?”, he asked.
Surjewala said that this is the biggest ‘diplomatic blunder’ in India’s history.
“Modi Government has committed a grave sacrilege by introducing a third party to assess the ground situation in Kashmir and that also through an unknown think tank. By doing so, Government has caused an affront to India’s sovereign right over Jammu and Kashmir”, he added.
Surjewala further said that Modi Government has deliberately internationalised Kashmir issue violating time tested policy of Kashmir being an ‘internal matter’ of India. (UNI)
