Srinagar: The European Union delegation of MPs which visited Jammu & Kashmir has expressed strong backing for India to end terror in the state and restore peace.
In an unequivocal endorsement, a delegation of European Union parliamentarians on Wednesday came in full support on India’s stand of Jammu and Kashmir being its internal matter.
While declaring that abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir was an internal decision of the country, a team of 23 European Union parliamentarians extended full support to India in its fight against terrorism emanating from the neighbouring country.
Addressing a press conference here, they said terrorism is not an internal issue. They further said, “Terrorism is not only India’s problem but is an international problem. We support India in fighting terrorism. Terrorism can destroy your country. Terrorism is also a problem of France and Europe. We don’t want Kashmir to become another Afghanistan,” they said without mincing words.
Four delegates of the visiting delegates- Henri Malosse and Thierry Mariani from France, Ryszard Czarnecki from Poland and Bill Newton Dunn from the United Kingdom – after their visit to the newly formed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, stated that people of the region want peace and development. They added that there is an atmosphere of development in J&K.
An EU MP said, “we have no interest in Indian politics. Our aim was to meet the local people. It was a good experience in Kashmir. Work is being done in the right direction here. People of Kashmir want peace and development. They want school and hospitals.”
The EU MPs also asserted that Article 370 is an internal matter of India and stressed that India is a peace-loving nation. The members also took a dig at Pakistan saying that the country causes trouble to the Christian community residing in their country.
The members of the delegation also condemned the killing of innocents by terrorists in the past few days.
Lauding the press, they said, “First of all its a good sign that India has a free press if we look at the neighbourhood,” and went on to add that the western media was not good at facts.
The lawmakers said it was good to have a first glance about the situation in Kashmir and hoped that next time they could have more contact with civil society.