We don’t want Kashmir to become second Afghanistan : EU Delegation

Wraps up two-day Kashmir visit, says Not here to interfere in Indian politics, revocation of article 370 Delhi’s internal matter, wanted to have information about Kashmir situation’

5 Dariya News

Srinagar 30-Oct-2019

The European Parliamentarians on Wednesday said that revocation of Article 370 was India’s internal matter and that they were not in Kashmir to interfere into the Indian politics. The delegation, however, stressed that they didn’t want Kashmir to become ‘second Afghanistan.’Addressing press conference before wrapping-up their two-day Kashmir visit, the 23-member EU delegation claimed to have met members from various walks of society in Srinagar and stated that rollback of Article 370 was the internal matter of India. The local media men were, however, barred from covering the EU delegation’s presser and only a selected media men personnel representing various national media were allowed to cover the presser.One of the members, Thierry Mariani said he has been to India several times before. “See, I am not here to interfere in Indian politics. We wanted to have an information about (Kashmir) situation," he said as per the Kashmir News Observer (KNO). He said that “terrorism” was a global problem and that he did not want Kashmir to become ‘second Afghanistan.’He also said they had a discussion with a civil society members and cross section of society including youth and young women. “What we could gauge is that Kashmiri people including young generation wants peace and development like other parts of India,” Mariani said.

As per KNO, another member of delegation, Henri Maloose from France said said that some “Indian news channels have given the wrong presentation of our visit." Henri while acknowledging that they have been presented as 'fascist, Islamaphobe, racist' and said that this is 'absolutely not the case' and that their visit is being projected in a very wrong manner.About the killing of five-non locals at South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the EU MP said that that region was unfortunately under threat and that “five innocent workers were killed.”The member thanked the Government of India for helping to organize their Kashmir visit. “Our visit is totally independent in nature,” he said. Earlier, on Tuesday, the EU delegation had met people from cross section of society and also the General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar based 15 Corps Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon at Badami Bagh Cantonment here. Sources told KNO that The members had visited Kashmir on Tuesday where they met the members of civil society and Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General K J S Dhillon. Sources told KNO that Dhillon briefed the delegation about the Cross LoC militancy stating that it was sponsored by Pakistan to foment trouble in Kashmir. The delegation soon after briefing the media men about their Kashmir sojourn, air-dashed to New Delhi (KNO).