Ajit Doval’s Lunch for Europeans MP’s Include 3 Senior Leaders from J&K

Former Deputy CM Muzafar Baig, Altaf Bukhari earlier with the PDP and Usman Majeed from the Congress of J&K

SRINAGAR| On Monday three senior leaders from Jammu and Kashmir were present at lunch for the lawmakers from European Union, hosted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. One of them was from the PDP and one from the Congress.

The 27 lawmakers discussed the situation there with Mr. Doval and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before privately visiting India.

Sources said the three Kashmiri leaders present on the occasion included the state’s former Deputy Chief Minister Muzafar Baig, a leader of Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party and Altaf Bukhari who was earlier with the PDP. Usman Majeed, who is from the Congress, was also present.

Mehbooba Mufti is one of the three former Chief Ministers currently under detention as part of the lingering restrictions in the Kashmir Valley. While the detentions of political leaders from Jammu was lifted weeks ago, around 250 mainstream political leaders from Kashmir are still under house arrest.

The three leaders present at lunch had not been on the detention list and their inclusion in such a gathering a first since the Centre’s announcement seen as a search for new political faces in the Valley.

Last month, the European Parliament had discussed Jammu and Kashmir, its lawmakers had expressed both support for Centre’s efforts to restore normalcy and criticism for the restrictions placed on the state.

The visit by the lawmakers mostly from right-wing parties is a first by an international group to Jammu and Kashmir since the government ended the state’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

The Congress has sharply criticized the government’s move to allow the European lawmakers to visit Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out that the opposition leaders here were not allowed to do so.

Also Read: “Kashmir largest prison in the world”,says Pakistan at UNHRC convention

Late in August, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were turned away from the Srinagar airport when they tried to visit Jammu and Kashmir.

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.https://t.co/rz0jffrMhJ

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 28, 2019

Even Priyanka Gandhi slammed Modi government over their decision for the EU Parliament’s private visit to J&K.

कश्मीर में यूरोपियन सांसदों को सैर-सपाटा और हस्तक्षेप की इजाजत लेकिन भारतीय सांसदों और नेताओं को पहुँचते ही हवाई अड्डे से वापस भेजा गया!

बड़ा अनोखा राष्ट्रवाद है यह।https://t.co/hAHVigzGFU

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 29, 2019

Earlier, tweeting under the hashtag “#InsultToIndianDemocracy!”, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said: “My request, made during the LokSabha 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 #InsultToIndiaDemocracy!”