The United Kingdom government on Friday said that it will “not interfere in the protest” which the Indian government lodged with the UK over a Kashmir solidarity event to be held in the British Parliament on February 4, India Today reported.
While addressing a media briefing on Thursday Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that India had taken up the matter with the UK and “expected” the British government to address India’s concerns.
“We have taken it up with the UK very strongly. We hope that they will understand our objections to the proposed conference and take appropriate action,” he said.
“We hope that they will understand our objections to the proposed conference and take appropriate action,” Kumar said.
The UK has said that it will not interfere in the matter. The British High Commission Spokesperson in New Delhi said, “UK Members of Parliament are independent of government; it is for individual members to decide who they meet and for what purpose.”
According to a press release issued by Foreign Office, the Feb 4 meeting will be followed by an exhibition in London to “highlight the centrality of [India-occupied] Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the grave human rights violations against the Kashmiri people by India which are being widely condemned and need to be immediately stopped”.
The meeting will be attended by MPs of both Labour and Conservative parties. In addition to that, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is also expected to attend the event.
The BHC spokesperson in New Delhi told India Today that the UK government is aware of Qureshi’s travel plans to London to attend private events and there are no plans for meetings with the UK government during that visit.
“The UK’s longstanding position is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the Kashmiri people’s wishes,” the spokesperson added.
