Will see what's happening on the ground: EU team on the way to Kashmir

New Delhi : A 23-member delegation of European Union Members of Parliament left for Kashmir to check the ground situation in real against the claims made by Pakistan and India after scrapping of Article 370, which gave Jammu & Kashmir special status.

This happens to be a first ever visit by any international delegation to the Valley after August 5, when Narendra Modi government passed a resolution in parliament and scrapped special status to the state and special privileges to its residents and split Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories. 

"It is a good opportunity for us to go into Kashmir as a foreign delegation and to be able to see firsthand for ourselves what is happening on the ground," said Nathan Gill, Member of European Parliament from Wales, reports ANI.

The delegation left for the valley one day after they had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Former Congress chief, on the other hand, criticized the move and tweeted: "MPs from Europe are welcome to go on a guided tour of Jammu and Kashmir while Indian MPs are banned and denied entry. There is something very wrong with that."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also explained India's stand behind the decision and claimed that the prime objective behind making legislative changes in the valley was to achieve peace and ensure development in the region. 

The 27 MPs were then briefed by Doval for around 40 minutes on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir. He told them that the restrictions put in place after August 5 were necessary to ensure there were no attacks by the Pakistan-based terror groups.

The delegation comprised Poland's Joana Kopcinska, Grzegorz Tobiszowski, Ryszard Czarnecki, Kosma Zlotowski, Bogdan Rzonca, Elzbieta Rafalska; Italy’s Silvia Sardone, Gianna Gancia, Fulvio Martusciello, Guiseppe Ferrandino; France’s France Jamet, Nicholas Bay, Virginie Joron, Julie Lechanteux, Maxette Pirbakas, and Thierry Mariani.