Delegation Of EU MPs In Jammu And Kashmir Amid Complete Shutdown And Clashes

A delegation of 23 European Union MPs, on a two-day visit to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday to a complete shutdown and clashes between people and security forces in several parts of the city and the Valley.

A convoy of security vehicles escorted the MPs, who were traveling in bullet-proof vehicles, from the airport to their hotel where a traditional Kashmiri welcome awaited them.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam and police chief Dilbag Singh briefed the members of the European Parliament, the first high-level foreign visitors to Kashmir after the August 5 decision of the Centre to revoke the state’s special status and bifurcate it into two union territories.
The team also interacted with members of the public, including the newly-elected panchayat members and councilors, at a five-star hotel. As the winter chill settled over the city, there was some boating in the famed waters of the Dal Lake too.

The MPs were boating near the Centaur Hotel, where more than 30 politicians and activists have been under detention since August 5.

On Monday, the members of the European Parliament met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. While welcoming the MPs to India, he “expressed the hope that they have a fruitful visit to various parts of the country, including to Jammu and Kashmir”.