NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday questioned the government over letting a delegation of European Union MPs visit Jammu and Kashmir at a time when Indian MPs were not allowed to visit the state.
"MPs from Europe are welcome to go on a guided tour of Jammu & #Kashmir while Indian MPs are banned & denied entry. There is something very wrong with that," he said in a tweet.
The Congress also came heavily on the delegation's visit being facilitated by the government.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said in a tweet: "Indian MPs should perhaps consider getting elected to European Parliament to be able to visit J&K that govt claims was integrated into India without firing a single bullet. Was J&K enemy/alien Territory before 5 August 2019? Has it not been an inalienable part of India since 1947?"
The Congress has got an opportunity to target the Modi government after being at the receiving end when the delegation of Overseas Congress met Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, after the British opposition party passed resolutions critical of India's abrogation of Article 370 and the security lockdown in Kashmir.
The party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, told mediapersons that the government "rolling out the red carpet to EU MPs... briefing them and inviting them to visit Jammu and Kashmir is a disrespect to the sovereignty of the Indian Parliament and the violation of the privileges of Indian MPs."
"When leaders of the opposition and Members of Parliament went to Srinagar, they were detained and not allowed to meet any individual or community organisations. This stand of the government is self-defeating and contradicts the consistent position that J&K is India's internal matter. Is this the new version of Indian nationalism," he asked.