Briefed int’l community on J&K, CAA, says Govt

NEW DELHI: The government has briefed the international community on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, with countries showing understanding of India's position, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said as a result of the government's outreach, countries have also called on Pakistan to not allow its territories to be used for terrorism in any manner.

The government has briefed the members of the international community on the facts relating to Jammu and Kashmir and also shared perspectives on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, Muraleedharan said.

"As a result of the government's efforts, countries have shown understanding that matters related to Jammu & Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, are internal to India, and that Pakistan sponsored crossborder terrorism has been posing a grave threat and affecting the lives of the people of India, including in Jammu & Kashmir," he said.

There is also appreciation of the Indian position that the CAA is an affirmative action meant to address the long standing predicament of the vulnerable sections living in India, and that it does not impact in any manner the status of any citizen or deprive any Indian of any faith of her or his citizenship, the minister said.

These countries have expressed faith that Indian democratic practices and institutions are equipped to deal with issues that may arise in implementation of the decisions taken by the Indian Parliament, he said.

Muraleedhran also hit out at the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for his remarks on the CAA, saying the comments were "inaccurate and unwarranted".

The United Nations' human rights body had voiced concern over India's new citizenship

law, terming it "fundamentally discriminatory" in nature.

"The government immediately registered its protest with the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and clearly conveyed that the legislation is a humanitarian measure and is in line with India's international human rights obligations," Muraleedharan said.

He said the government completely and unequivocally rejected any efforts to internationalize the issues which are internal to India, in particular on laws passed by Parliament of a sovereign nation.

The government has also taken note of some statements made by China, Malaysia and Turkey on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir and conveyed that India expects these countries to not comment on the internal affairs of India, he said.

The countries have been asked to respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and develop a proper understanding of the issue, he said.

Responding to another question on the impact of the Article 370 abrogation on Indo-us ties, Muraleedharan said matters related to the Constitution of India are sovereign in nature, and do not concern other countries or international organizations.

The government has proactively briefed members of the international community, including interlocutors in the US, regarding the rationale behind the abrogation of Article 370 and the normalisation of the situation in the Union Territory of J&K, he said.

The US government has shown understanding regarding the security challenges in the Union Territory and, from time to time, has acknowledged the steps taken to restore normalcy, he said.