Published 15:22 IST, October 11th 2019
Slammed by party's Indians, UK's Corbyn dithers on Kashmir Resolution
Jeremy Corbyn, on Thursday has stated that some of the Kashmir resolution passed by his party have the scope of being 'misinterpreted as hostile to India'
Britain's Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, on Thursday has stated that some of the languages in a controversial Kashmir resolution passed by his party have the scope of being "misinterpreted as hostile to India", according to PTI. Yet Corbyn stood by the emergency motion against the abrogation of Article 370. The UK Opposition Leader was responding to a letter by the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) group, who are among a number of party members to raise concerns over the controversial resolution passed at the Labour Party annual conference last month. The resolution called for international intervention in Kashmir in the wake of the Indian government's revocation of Article 370.
Corbyn replies to LFIN letter on Kashmir resolution
Corbyn stated that there is a recognition that some of the language used within it could be misinterpreted as hostile to India and the Indian diaspora, in his reply to the LFIN letter. He added, " Labour understands the concerns the Indian community in Britain has about the situation in Kashmir and takes these concerns very seriously, who has been under pressure from Indian diaspora groups in Britain since the Labour Party passed the resolution." He also stressed that the party remains committed to ensuring that the rights of all citizens of Kashmir are "respected and upheld". He added, "This remains our priority and I agree that we should not allow the politics of the sub-continent to divide communities in Britain."
Corbyn meets with IOC members, sparks debate in India
Corbyn had sparked a war of words in India between the BJP and the Congress on Thursday after he claimed that human rights situation in Kashmir was discussed during a meeting with the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) UK representatives earlier this week. The BJP lashed out at the Congress over its "shameful shenanigans" and demanded an explanation following which the latter hit out at the ruling party in a tweet accusing it of spreading lies instead of addressing questions on the economic slowdown in the country. Meanwhile, Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma, who is the Chairman of the party's Foreign Affairs department, later told reporters it "disowned" any claim made at the meeting in its entirety. India has categorically told the international community that its move on Kashmir was an internal matter. India maintains Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party has any role in it.
LFIN slams Labour resolution on Kashmir
The LFIN had felt the brunt of the resolution's aftermath as the Indian mission in London cancelled participation in a proposed annual reception and even the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a harsh rebuke over the uninformed and unfounded motion. LFIN had raised concerns about the procedure for the selection of the motion, the quality of the evidence that backed it up, the lack of a balanced debate on the subject, and its ultimate selection and adoption.
(With PTI Inputs)
Updated 15:52 IST, October 11th 2019