Visit of 'far-right' Euro MPs to occupied Kashmir raises doubts

Nearly 30 Members of the European Parliament, drawn mainly from extreme right-wing parties, was the first international delegation to visit Indian occupied Kashmir since New Dehli imposed a security clampdown in August to back the ending of the region’s autonomy.

While the Indian government backs the visit, the European parliament and European Union hierarchy have not been involved, raising some diplomatic doubts. Several European embassies in New Delhi were unaware of the visit until Monday, AFP reported.

“The delegation of MEPs is not on an official visit in India and came here at the invitation of a non-government group,” said an EU official in India, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The group, dominated by right-wing deputies from Poland, France and Britain, met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

Thierry Mariani, a Euro MP for France’s far-right National Rally, told AFP “we are going to see the situation in Kashmir, at least what they want to show us”.

Fearing unrest after the revocation of Article 370, the government cut telephone and internet lines and imposed a near curfew in many parts after the decades-old autonomy was ended.

The measures were recently eased, with telephone lines restored, but the population still has no internet.