Diplomat in New York takes hard line on J&K in video

NEWDELHI: India’s top diplomat in New York created a flutter when a video emerged on Wednesday that showed him suggesting that the country emulate Israel’s example to ensure the return of Kashmiri Pandit refugees to Jammu & Kashmir.

Sandeep Chakravorty, the consul general in New York, was filmed making the remarks at a private event on Saturday that was also attended by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, actor Anupam Kher and members of the Kashmiri Pandit community settled in the US. The hour-long video was posted on Facebook by Agnihotri.

The external affairs ministry did not comment on the issue. Chakravorty, who is believed to be a front-runner to become the ministry’s next spokesperson, tweeted that he had “seen some social media comments on my recent remarks”, which he said “are being taken out of context”.

In the video, Chakravorty, who spoke in a mixture of Hindi and English, is shown saying he would express some personal views and then give the “government’s position” on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.

He described the government’s August 5 decision to revoke Jammu & Kashmir’s special status and to split the state into two Union territories as a “big international risk” that could have led to “international opprobrium”.

He added that India had “successfully stalled” an “international diplomatic struggle” on the Kashmir issue and the Kashmiri Pandit refugees will be able to return with time.

THE HOUR-LONG VIDEO WAS POSTED ON FACEBOOK BY CONSUL GENERAL SANDEEP CHAKRAVORTY