Why did Centre stop Indian MPS, asks Oppn
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and several other leaders of political parties in the region (including former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah) have been in detention since August 6. The senior Abdullah has been arrested under the Public Safety Act. On Monday, over lunch, the visiting European Parliament members met around 40 Kashmiri politicians, political activists, and intellectuals, including PDP leaders Muzaffar Beig and Altaf Bukhari, and the chairman of the All J &K Panchayat Conference, Shafiz Mir.
Even as the Modi government is sending the European parliamentarians to the Valley, it has adopted a focused approach on countering Pakistani diplomatic bombardment on the nullification of Article 370 on global platforms. India is convinced that Pakistan will keep on piling pressure diplomatic pressure on India globally, while its Army will do its utmost to orchestrate violence in the Valley. Last weekend, in response to increased shelling by Pakistani troops – it was aimed at helping terrorists infiltrate into India, Indian security officials said – Indian artillery fire targeted launch pads for terrorists across the Line of Control, killing several terrorists.
During his brief interaction with the MEPS, PM Modi also told them that early conclusion of a fair and balanced Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) with European Union was a priority of his government.
NEW DELHI: The Opposition on Monday hit out at the government for facilitating the travel of a delegation of lawmakers of the European Union to Jammu and Kashmir, while the region remained out of bounds for most Indian leaders.
On August 24, a delegation of prominent Opposition leaders were not allowed to enter the region after landing in Srinagar airport. Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and KC Venugopal were part of the panel. It also included Communist Party of India’s Sitaram Yechury, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Tiruchi Siva, Janata Dal (Secular) leader D Kupendra Reddy, Trinamool Congress’s Dinesh Trivedi, Nationalist Congress Party’s Mehmood Memon, and the Communist Party of India-marxist’s D Raja.
The BJP’S Nalin S Kohli said, “The abrogation of Article 370 was the elimination of a temporary provision of the Indian constitution and the government of India under PM Modi has successfully, both diplomatically and strategically, countered Pakistan’s narrative of falsehoods. The visit may also be seen from this perspective. If the government of India, at any point, decides to put out information in public domain, then it will continue to do so.”
But Sharma said the government rolling out the red carpet for Members of the European Parliament (MEPS) to brief and invite them to visit J&K was “a disrespect to the sovereignty of the Indian Parliament and the violation of the privileges of Indian MPS”. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “MPS from Europe are welcome to go on a guided tour of Jammu & #Kashmir while Indian MPS are banned & denied entry. There is something very wrong with that.”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted that the move to take MEPS was an insult to the Indian Parliament. “When Indian political leaders have been prevented from meeting the people of J&K, what possessed the great chest-beating champion of nationalism to allow European politicians to visit J&K?...”
Yechury questioned the move and tweeted: “I was allowed to enter Srinagar only when the Supreme Court permitted my... petition. Even today Indian MPS are not allowed while Modi welcomes MEPS.”
RJD’S Manoj Jha said: “Doesn’t it sound bizarre that the government does not allow its own Opposition leaders but has no issue with foreign leaders landing in J&K...”