Srinagar, Aug 20: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s remarks that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India and the protest registered by Pakistan over the comment have drawn mixed reactions from political spectrum in the Union territory.
The BJP welcomed Gor’s remarks as a major diplomatic achievement for India, but the Congress said the US diplomat stated the “obvious”, adding that third-party intervention on Jammu and Kashmir was a “failure” of the central government.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Pakistan’s summoning of the US chargé d’affaires was a bilateral matter between the countries, while PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said there is no need to take the US seriously, as its intervention has only caused destruction worldwide.
Gor, who met Abdullah on Wednesday during his visit to the Union territory, said Jammu and Kashmir is an “important part of India”. He was speaking to reporters alongside the chief minister at the latter’s residence after their meeting.
After his remarks, Pakistan summoned US chargé d’affaires Natalie Baker and lodged a “strong demarche”.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Abdullah said, “That is a matter between Pakistan and the US. Neither you nor I can do anything about it. Whatever the US ambassador (to India) said, he has said it. It is now between those two countries.”
The chief minister also refused to be drawn into a war of words with his party’s alliance partner Congress, which has said there should be no third-party intervention on Jammu and Kashmir as it is an integral part of India.
“I am not getting into this. Congress has their point of view; they are a political party, the largest opposition party. They have a point of view and are entitled to it. I am not going to get into a war of words over this. What can I say on that?” he said.
Earlier, state Congress chief and Central Shalteng MLA Tariq Karra said Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and any third-party intervention is a “failure” of the central government.
“Whether it is the US ambassador, the US secretary, or any diplomat in the world who says today that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, they haven’t said anything out of the ordinary. It has always been an integral part of India, and the whole world knows this,” Karra told reporters in response to a question about Gor’s remarks.
Asked whether the US ambassador was trying to strike a balance as he did not refer to Jammu and Kashmir as an “internal” or “integral” part of India, Karra said the “confusion” was because of the “failed policy of the present government”.
“For quite some time, US intervention in the government of India (matters) has been very high. And this happens only when (because) our country has a failed policy today,” he said.
On Pakistan summoning the US envoy over Gor’s comments, the JKPCC chief said it is the neighbouring country’s internal matter.
“That is their internal matter that they are inviting (summoning) them. Our policy is that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, was an integral part of India and will remain an integral part of India,” he said.
“When it comes to the matter between India and Pakistan, after the Shimla Agreement, if there are any relevant parties, they are India and Pakistan,” Karra asserted.
The MLA said Congress does not recognise any third-party intervention because that has been “our stated policy ever since” the Agreement.
“Today, if an intervention takes place anywhere or an offer is made, that is the failed policy of the present dispensation,” he said.
Describing Gor’s remarks as a major diplomatic achievement, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP said it was a strong reflection of the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP’s state spokesperson Altaf Thakur said the US ambassador’s statement from Srinagar carries considerable diplomatic significance, particularly at a time when Pakistan has repeatedly attempted to internationalise the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
“The world is increasingly recognising the ground reality of Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan’s propaganda stands exposed,” he said.
He credited Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for strengthening India’s diplomatic position globally and ensuring that the international narrative on the issue is increasingly centred on peace, development and democratic governance.
Thakur also said the visit and Gor’s comments had given a strong rebuttal to Pakistan’s narrative on Jammu and Kashmir.
“Pakistan has spent decades manufacturing a false narrative about Kashmir. Today, it is collapsing before the eyes of the international community. The reality is visible — Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful, democratic, developing and increasingly connected with the world,” he said.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, however, said there is no need to take the US seriously as American intervention has only caused destruction worldwide.
“I think there is no need to take the US so seriously. We have seen that the US has caused destruction everywhere it intervened — from Vietnam to Iran. They are not our masters that they will give us a certificate and then only there would be a dialogue,” she told reporters here.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said it was not the first time that the US ambassador had visited Kashmir.
“The only difference is that before 2019, any ambassador who came here used to meet people from every section of society like people from tourism, trade, travel and even those who hold other opinions. Then they would go back with their own opinion,” she said.
However, she added that after 2019 — when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status — “all these tours by foreign dignitaries are curated”.
“They come here, they don’t meet anyone other than the chief minister and the governor, and then they take a Shikara ride and leave,” she said.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari said the US ambassador’s remarks were highly significant.
“US Ambassador Sergio Gor’s recognition that Jammu and Kashmir is an ‘important part of India’ is highly significant. It reflects Washington’s acknowledgement of India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir,” Bukhari said in a post on X.
He expressed hope that Gor’s remarks will also help raise awareness in the country and strengthen the case for ensuring that Jammu and Kashmir receives the rights, attention, and recognition it deserves as an equal and important part of the nation.–(PTI)
