The 27 European Union MPs who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Monday are visiting India in their “private capacity”, it has been reported. The group of MPs left for Jammu and Kashmir this morning.
The MPs – most of them from far right parties – are the first international visitors to go to Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to the state. The Centre’s move to lift the special status was implemented on August 5 and the state was split into two union territories.
The Opposition questioned the Centre’s move to take the foreign MPs to Kashmir at a time Indian leaders were not allowed to meet the people there.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that the Centre’s move was an outright violation of democracy. In a tweet Tharoor said, “My request, made during the Lok Sabha debate on Article 370, for an All-Party delegation of MPs to visit to see the situation for themselves, has still not been accepted. But members of the European Parliament can travel as our government’s guests? What an #InsultToIndianDemocracy!”
Yesterday, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh had tweeted: “When Indian political leaders have been prevented from meeting the people of Jammu and Kashmir, what possessed the great chest-beating champion of nationalism to allow European politicians to visit J&K. This is an outright insult to India’s own Parliament and our democracy.”
Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister of J&K tweeted: “If scrapping Article 370 integrated J&K into India, why is Shri Rahul Gandhi barred from visiting Kashmir? Instead, a group of far right & fascist leanings EU MPs is allowed by GOI. Your ticket to Kashmir is possible only if you’re a fascist with a visceral hatred for Muslims.”
Rahul Gandhi and a team of Congress leaders were sent back from Srinagar airport when they tried to visit the region on August 25. Ghulam Nabi Azad, former chief minister, J&K and Congress leader was also sent back from Srinagar airport.
According to reports, the group will visit the Army headquarters, where they may be briefed and have lunch. They will be taken to two hotels, where they will meet traders, houseboat owners and state government officials.
Thierry Mariani, a Euro MP for France’s far-right National Rally, was quoted telling Agence France-Presse (AFP), “we are going to see the situation in Kashmir, at least what they want to show us”. AFP also reported yesterday that the European parliament and European Union hierarchy were not involved in this visit. An unnamed EU official in India was also quoted saying the visit was not official and they had come at the invitation of an NGO.
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