After Tharoor row, Salman Khurshid's take on Article 370 fresh headache for Congress

NEW DELHI: The all-party delegations visiting various countries to expose Pakistan post the Pahalgam attack seem to be becoming a headache for the Congress with senior party leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid's recent remarks backing nullification of Article 370 in 2019 by the Modi government likely to discomfit the Congress. This comes after another delegation member, Shashi Tharoor, faced strong criticism from within the party for his statement that India crossed the line of control (LoC) to conduct surgical strikes "for the first time" under the Modi government.

While addressing think tanks and academia in Indonesia on Friday, Khurshid said it was unfortunate that Pakistan wants to undo the prosperity that has come to Jammu & Kashmir following the abrogation. Khurshid is part of one of the seven- all party delegations currently touring various countries. The Congress had initially opposed the move to scrap Article 370. The party later nuanced its position and has since been ambivalent on the issue of restoration of the Article which granted J&K special status.

"Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated, it was finally put to an end, because so much time had passed.," Khurshid said while addressing the Indonesian think tanks and academia.

"Subsequently, there was an election with 65% participation. There's an elected government in Kashmir today, and therefore, for people to want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir, it is very unfortunate. It will give a setback to anybody," Khurshid further said.

While the senior leadership made no comment on Khurshid's remarks, unease within the party has been brewing ever since the government announced the names for the 51 members of the all-party delegations. The Congress had accused the Modi government of "complete insincerity" and for playing "cheap political games" while highlighting that "regrettably" only one of the four names suggested by the Congress leadership has been included. However, the opposition party relented, allowing "eminent" party members selected by the government to go with the delegations and make their contribution.

The Congress had submitted the names of Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. However, the delegation finalised by the government includes Shashi Tharoor who is leading a delegation. There are also Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma, Salman Khurshid and Amar Singh in other delegations.