‘Most irresponsible politics ever’: Centre on Rahul Gandhi’s Kashmir remark

Dismissing Rahul Gandhi’s tweet today on Jammu and Kashmir as a “U-turn”, the Centre said the Congress leader has insulted the country by his “irresponsible utterances” on the situation in the Valley, stressing that Pakistan has used his statement in their petition against India in the United Nations.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi had to retract their earlier statements on alleged violence in Jammu and Kashmir after much backlash from across the country and that they should apologise for their remarks.

“Rahul Gandhi’s statements on the violence and deaths in the Valley have been used by Pakistan in their petition against India in the United Nations, in which the Islamabad has said and I quote that ‘the acts of violence in Kashmir have been acknowledged by main stream politicians like Congress leader Rahul Gandhi,’” Javadekar said.

Watch: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi after Pakistan quotes him in letter to UN on Kashmir 

Stinging Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, the union minister accused the Congress of doing the “most irresponsible politics ever”.

“Things are not wrong in Kashmir but in Congress. This statement shows the bankruptcy of the party that ruled the nation for 70 years. Never has this happened in the past that the statement of a political party were used against the country. The language of the party and its leader became handle for Pakistan,” he said, rejecting reports of violence in Kashmir.

This morning, Rahul Gandhi tweeted that “Kashmir is India’s internal issue & there is no room for Pakistan or any other foreign country to interfere in it.” The statement, however, came amid media reports that Pakistan had moved a petition in United Nations on Jammu and Kashmir mentioning the Congress leader’s previous quote on the situation in the state.

There is violence in Jammu & Kashmir. There is violence because it is instigated and supported by Pakistan which is known to be the prime supporter of terrorism across the world.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2019

Soon after, the Congress’s official handle tweeted support to Gandhi’s remarks: “The INC has noticed reports citing an alleged petition moved by Pakistani Government to United Nations on Jammu & Kashmir, wherein name of Shri Rahul Gandhi has been mischievously dragged to justify the pack of lies and deliberate misinformation being spread by Pakistan.” 

INC COMMUNIQUE

Statement of Sri. @rssurjewala ,I/C , Communications on the alleged petition by Pakistan in which they have mischievously dragged Rahul Gandhi's name. pic.twitter.com/ifuJJ8R3Vp

— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) August 28, 2019

Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi had sought a transparent account of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir from the Centre. “Some reports have come that things in Jammu and Kashmir are going very wrong… It is very-very important that the Prime Minister of India and the government be very transparent about what is happening in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” he had said.

A delegation of opposition leaders, including Gandhi that wanted to visit Kashmir to take stock of the situation there after the abrogation of Article 370 was not allowed to leave Srinagar airport over the weekend and sent back by the state administration. “The government is saying that everything is normal here, so if everything is normal then why are we not allowed to go in. It is surprising,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had told reporters.