New Delhi: In an order designating Hizbul Mujahideen chief as a global terrorist, the United States chose to refer Jammu and Kashmir as “Indian-administered” territory. Though India has expressed strong disapproval of what it calls “aberration” of terminology, it has put Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tight spot with the main opposition party, condemning his government for not objecting to such description of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Why has the PM not protested despite being on US soil? Why is BJP silent? Is it not a total sellout of national interest,” Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader told a news conference on Wednesday.
Azad said that “it is shocking that the U.S. government’s statement on Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, refers to Jammu and Kashmir as ‘Indian Administrated Kashmir’. This is part of the order and not just reference. This is total compromise with India’s national security and sovereignty.”
Earlier this month, India strongly objected to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir as India-administered territory after the United Nations human rights chief reiterated his request to India and Pakistan for access to the troubled region.
Rajiv Chander, the permanent representative of India to the UN offices in Geneva, argued before the HRC that the neutrality of the phrase ‘Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir’ was artificial as the state of Jammu and Kashmir had an elected democratic government that represented all sections of the Indian population unlike the situation on the Pakistani side of Kashmir.
The Congress leader trained his guns at the Prime Minister, the BJP and other cabinet ministers over the issue.
“Why has Prime Minister of India not protested despite being on US soil? Why our foreign, defence, home, and Information & Broadcasting ministers have not issued a single statement or apology? Why is the ‘nationalist’ BJP silent? Is it not total sellout of the national interest?” Azad questioned.
The Congress leader took a dig at BJP and PM Modi’s nationalism plank and said, “Modi ji and the BJP preach pseudo nationalism everyday and the country would expect to know that why has this government accepted the phrase ‘Indian administrated Kashmir’?”
He asserted that “Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and shall remain an integral part of India. For, Narendra Modi ji and his party this can be a subject of political expediency to keep silent the Indian nation but the Indian National Congress or other secular parties will never be silent on the issue.”
Azad said the BJP and the government have been boasting about the US’ order on Salahuddin as if this was the only government that would have done it.
“Due to the efforts of the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government; in June 2006, the U.S. imposed heavy sanctions on India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. On August 6, 2010, pakistan based Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji) was declared a terrorist organization, On September 15, 2011, another Pakistan based Indian Mujahidin was declared as terror organization, and on April 3, 2012, the US had put bounty of USD 10 million on Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Sayeed for his role in Mumbai blasts,” Azad said.
The US State Department has designated Syed Salahuddin as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
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