Hype created by BJP over Corbyn's tweet most unfortunate: Indian Overseas Congress UK president

After Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn courted controversy by tweeting a picture with the Indian Overseas Congress UK members over Kashmir, the party on Thursday slammed the BJP for creating hype over the issue, saying it is most unfortunate.

"The hype created by the BJP is the most unfortunate thing. Elections are set to be held in some states. BJP does not have anything to tell. Youth are leaving India. There are no jobs. Women are not safe. To hide these things, they are making a mountain out of a molehill," Kamalpreet Dhaliwal, the president of Congress UK chapter said.

"When they were about to speak on Kashmir, Sudhakar Goud, spokesperson of the Indian Overseas Congress UK, stopped them and told them with the respect that we do not allow any political party to interfere in our internal affairs no matter wherever we are staying. We told them how we can work together for the Indian diaspora," Dhaliwal said.

Dhaliwal urged the BJP not to amplify the matter and stressed that the Indian Overseas Congress UK has clarified its stand on various social media platforms.

He said that its UK chapter has totally objected to Corbyn's tweet and termed it as unfortunate.

"What Jeremy Corbyn had tweeted, we are against it and we totally object it. This is unfortunate that it was not our agenda to meet Corbyn and his team. On their invitation, the Indian Overseas Congress UK and our friends of Indian diaspora had gone to meet him," Dhaliwal said.

The Indian Overseas Congress UK chief said that the Congress delegation had requested the Labour Party and their team to reconsider their decision on the emergency resolution passed on Kashmir as the people in India are angry about it.

"Our agenda was clear. Recently, the Labour Party had passed a resolution (on Kashmir). We requested them to reconsider their decision again. The people are angry about it," Dhaliwal said.

He underlined that the party did not allow the Labour Party to raise the Kashmir issue and stressed that discussions were held on how to work together for the Indian diaspora.

Yesterday, Corbyn on Twitter described the "very productive meeting" he had with the Congress delegation and called for "de-escalation" and end of "cycle of violence" in the region.

"A very productive meeting with UK representatives from the Indian Congress Party where we discussed the human rights situation in Kashmir. There must be de-escalation and an end to the cycle of violence and fear which has plagued the region for so long," the British politician said.

The BJP called the meeting "appalling" and said India will give a befitting reply to the Congress for "these shameful shengans".

"Appalling! @INCIndia owes it to the people of India to explain what its leaders are telling foreign leaders about India. India will give a befitting reply to Congress for these shameful shengans!" the party said on its official Twitter handle.

Hitting back, the Indian National Congress said any matter related to Jammu and Kashmir is "purely India's internal affairs" and that the delegation was not authorised to speak on the issue.

The Indian Overseas Congress UK called BJP's statement as "malicious" and said that it was another attempt by them "to distract people from their failures."

On September 26, the Labour Party had passed an emergency resolution on Kashmir at the party's annual conference in Brighton which calls for the entry of international observers into the region.

The motion was a response to the decision by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and withdraw the region's special status under Article 370.

( With inputs from ANI )