India pushes ‘wrong narrative’ with foreign diplomats’ Kashmir visit amid elections: analysts
While India claims the visit showcases normalcy, regional politicians accuse New Delhi of using the visit to gain international legitimacy
As Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) goes through assembly elections after a decade-long hiatus, a foreign delegation’s visit to the disputed Himalayan region has sparked strong criticism from regional political parties, accusing New Delhi of pushing a “wrong narrative”.
Observers believe the visit aims to portray a misleading account of the region since losing its special status in August 2019.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday took a delegation of diplomats from 16 countries to different polling stations in Srinagar city – the summer capital of J&K- to witness phase 2 of the ongoing polling process of the J&K assembly election.
“It is a good chance to see a sub-national-level elections and obviously with Kashmir’s history, it is exciting to see elections here after 10 years or more,” US deputy Chief of the Mission in Delhi, Jorgan K Andrews told media at one of the polling stations in the Srinagar city.
India and Pakistan dispute Kashmir. The two neighbouring countries have fought three wars over the Himalayan region. Since the armed rebellion in 1989, heavy Indian military presence has dominated life in the region. According to media reports, about 900 companies, each with 110 personnel, have been deployed for election duties, in addition to the regular Jammu and Kashmir Police.
