The United Kingdom was among the countries which condemned the terrorist attack in Pulwama on February 14 when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of CRPF jawans, killing 40 of them.
Soon after the attack, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt took to Twitter to condemn the terror attack.
However, there are few in India and in the UK who are not happy with the language used by Hunt, especially for referring Jammu and Kashmir as ‘India-administered Kashmir’.
“Shocked by today’s senseless and brutal act of terror in India-administered Kashmir. I offer my sincere condolences to the victims’ families. We stand with India,” Hunt had tweeted on Feb 14, soon after the terror attack.
While many Indian users raised with him the issue of referring the state as ‘India-administered Kashmir’, some in the UK have also objected to the term.
At least two members of the British Parliament, one each from the Conservative Party and Labour Party, have asked the minister to retract the reference.
I have written to Foreign Secretary @foreignoffice @Jeremy_Hunt today thanking him for his support of the Indian people, but requesting he withdraw his use of the term 'India-administered Kashmir'. pic.twitter.com/zOEYCdntMi
— Virendra Sharma MP (@VirendraSharma) February 15, 2019
" I just wanted to raise one small point that Jammu and Kashmir have been an integral part of the Indian state since they acceded to India in 1947," he wrote.
Virendra Sharma, a Labour MP, was first to raise the issue, demanding that Hunt withdraw the term
“In your tweet, you use the phrase ‘India-administered Kashmir’, which is deeply offensive to many in India, and this country, as it suggests that India is a colonising nation, whereas the state chose to join India in 1947 due to the constitutional commitment to secularism and plurality,” Sharma wrote.
Another MP who raised the issue is Bob Blackman, a lawmaker of the ruling Conservative Party.
In his letter To @Jeremy_Hunt , @BobBlackman raises concern about the misuse of the term ‘India-administered Kashmir’ in the Foreign Secretary’s tweet pic.twitter.com/4I8Q2fNX0t
— antonia filmer (@tweetingtonia) February 19, 2019
“I thank you for your post on Twitter last week which showed solidarity with India in the face of this despicable terror attack in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. One part of the post is problematic and I would welcome a retraction from you as soon as possible,” he wrote to Hunt in a letter dated February 18.
“In your tweet, you refer to the state as ‘India-administered Kashmir’ which implies that India has expanded its own territory at the expense of another nation. This is, of course factually incorrect as Jammu and Kashmir has always been an integral part of India since its inception in 1947, it chose to be a part of India. Your language may offend and again I suggest retracting this phrase,” he added.
He also asked the minister to provide details on the support the UK is providing our friends in India in their ongoing battle against terrorists.
“Press reports have identified the responsible organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammad, who are based in Pakistan and operate on India soil,” he said.
Blackman is the leader of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus.