Govt stand self-defeating, contradictory: Congress
The Congress has condemned Prime Minister Modi for rolling out the red carpet welcome to the European Union (EU) MPs by briefing them and inviting them to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
"This stand of the government is self-defeating and contradicts our consistent position that J&K is India's internal matter. Is this the new version of Indian nationalism," asked former union minister and spokesman Anand Sharma on behalf of the Congress.
Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel tweeted: "Now that the government is playing host to privately sponsored EU MPs visiting Kashmir, how about being little patriotic and allowing a delegation of Indian MPs, elected by the Indian people, to visit J&K?"
Sharma described this as "a disrespect to the sovereignty of the Indian Parliament and the violation of the privileges of Indian MPs." He questioned such a favour to the EU MPs "when leaders of Opposition and Members of Parliament went to Srinagar, they were detained and not allowed to meet any individual or community organizations." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said there is something very wrong with that as "MPs from Europe are welcome to go on a guided tour of Jammu & #Kashmir while Indian MPs are banned & denied entry." His sister and AICC General Secretary tweeted it as "very strange nationalism" that the EU MPs permitted to travel to Kashmir and interfere while the Indian MPs and leaders were forced to return from the airports in J&K.
Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala questioned how the EU leaders entered J&K when India has always said J&K is our internal matter and only we will will look into it.
"Why has Modi made the
EU the Panch on Kashmir," Surjewala asked in a tweet, stressing that this is Modi Government's "forged rashtrawad" and insult of Parliament.
On the EU embassy in Delhi clarifying that the MPs are in India in their "personal capacity" and not as part of an official delegation, a Congress spokesman said Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had also travelled to Srinagar and Jammu on his personal capacity as a member of Parliament from the state but he was forced to return from the airport, not once but twice.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri questioned the kind of welcome given by PM Modi to the EU MPs, asking "why were Indian political party leaders and MPs repeatedly prevented from exiting Srinagar airport?" He tweeted that he was allowed to enter Srinagar only when the Supreme Court peremitted over his habeous corpus petition, adding that "even today, Indian MPs are not allowed while Modi welecomes MEPs!"
Another tweeter noted that visit of EU MPs to Kashmir comes at an interesting time that "most mainstream opposition leaders, including 3 former chief ministers, are still detained--for three months how. Shops only open a few hours a day while even key members of civil society are locked up."
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri questioned the kind of welcome given by PM Modi to the EU MPs, asking ‘why were Indian political party leaders and MPs repeatedly prevented from exiting Srinagar airport?’