The delegation of European Union MPs, which visited Kashmir to assess the situation in the state, has backed Indian on Centre's move on Article 370 while adding that they were angry on being called Nazi lovers.
In response to AIMIM president and Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi's 'Govt sending Nazi supporters to Kashmir' remark, the EU MPs said they were not Nazi lovers.
"We are not Nazi lovers. If we were, we would have not been elected. We are very angry at being called Nazi lovers," one of the EU MPs said.
He was responding to Owaisi's allegation that the Indian government had sent such members of the European Parliament to the Valley who believed in Nazi ideology and proudly call themselves fascists.
The EU MP added that terrorism was a problem of Europe also and that they stand united against it with India.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, the EU delegation said they were in India not for political interference but for 'fact-finding'. "We have not come here for political interference. We are here for fact-finding," a spokesperson of a delegation of 23 EU MPs said while adding that Kashmir is an internal matter of the country.
MPs will not submit a report to the European Union
Also Read: Terrorists ambushed CRPF, Army near Class 10 board exam center in Pulwama
The delegation said since Article 370 is an internal issue of India, they will not be submitting any report to the European Union.
The EU MPs also advocated talks between India and Pakistan for peace. "We did not get enough time to meet a large number of people in the Valley. But a short visit better than no visit," one of the MPs said at the press conference.
What did Opposition say on govt allowing EU MPs to Kashmir
The decision of the BJP government to allow European Union MPs to visit Kashmir has been criticized by the Opposition.
While the Congress termed it as a national embarrassment’, the National Conference (NC) said it was a 'PR stunt'.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the BJP's nationalism is strange, allowing European MPs to visit and interfere in Kashmir while Indian MPs are sent back from the airport.
Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the government has embarked on an "ill-advised PR exercise, sponsoring individuals with questionable credentials".
"The visit of the selected EU MPs, largely of a particular ideology, is clearly a PR exercise. It is ironical that European MPs are visiting the Valley when the state's leaders including three former chief ministers, are incarcerated for nearly three months now, and hundreds of others are in jails across the country," the NC said in a statement.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati said the government should have allowed opposition party MPs to visit Jammu and Kashmir before sending EU MPs to assess the situation there.
What is the purpose of the visit of EU MPs
A 23-member delegation of European Union parliamentarians reached Kashmir on Tuesday for a first-hand assessment of the situation after the state's special status was revoked in August.
On Tuesday, top police and civil officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration told the delegation that people have been yearning for peace but the terrorists have been continuously threatening them by firing bullets.
The team of EU MPs also interacted with members of the public, including the newly elected panchayat members and councilors.