EU Parliament to vote on scathing resolution against annexation of occupied Kashmir by India
The European Parliament is set to debate and vote on a scathing resolution against annexation of occupied Kashmir by India in clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Out of more than 700 members of the EU Parliament, more than 600 have moved six resolutions on both the issues.
The diplomatic offensive by the EU against India came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brussels for India-EU summit in March.
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The resolution which will be put up for voting on Jan 30, also condemns enforcement of new citizenship laws by New Delhi that discriminate against Muslims.
On Jan 9, the ambassadors of the European countries had refused to visit the occupied Kashmir arranged by the Indian government for the envoys based in New Delhi.
According to the diplomatic sources, the envoys from European countries had said they did not want a guided tour of Kashmir, rather they wanted to meet people freely of their own choosing.
Some of the envoys had said they were also keen to meet the three former chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who had been in detention since the New Delhi government illegally and unconstitutionally changed the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year.
Indian newspaper The Hindu had reported that the EU diplomats had told the Indian government that they wanted to travel in the occupied valley more freely and unescorted. The Indian government had reportedly accepted their demand.
According to the Associated Press, 15 ambassadors of different countries including the United States would embark on a journey to the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir for two days on Jan 9. Representatives of Bangladesh, Vietnam, Norway, the Maldives, South Korea, Morocco and Nigeria will be part of this delegation.
Earlier this month, former Indian home minister and veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram had said that India had lost Kashmir.
