Former External Affairs Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Friday said that it is was unfortunate that ‘people (Pakistan) want to undo the development and prosperity that has come to Kashmir.’ The Congress leader, who is in Indonesia as part of an all-party delegation to rally support against cross-border terror from Pakistan, also spoke about how India “sent a message” to Pakistan through Operation Sindoor, which was aimed at terror camps beyond the Line of Control.
While addressing Indonesian think thanks and academia, Khurshid said, “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an Article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end.”
Khurshid also highlighted that there is an elected government in Kashmir with a 65 percent voter turnout. “There’s an elected government in Kashmir today and therefore for people to want to undo everything that has happened is unfortunate,” he said.
| Jakarta, Indonesia | “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article…
— ANI (@ANI)
The Congress leader also asserted, “As you know, in this part of the world, nobody can be told to give up a part of your sovereignty, to give up a part of your family. Kashmir and we are family together. Nobody can break up our family and our home. That is the only message we are giving.”
Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Khurshid said, “The limited exercise that we need to do to keep our family safe is the only thing we did for four days, in which we tried to send a message to Pakistan that please, don’t do this misadventure. You will not succeed.”
Salman Khurshid is part of an all-party delegation, led by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, tasked with briefing countries on Operation Sindoor and India’s action and stance against terrorism. Khurshid’s delegation is visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore as part of their multi-nation tour.
