Johnson’s Kashmir gaffe in response to MP’s question on farmers

LONDON: British PM Boris Johnson, whose India connection goes beyond his love of curry, on Wednesday appeared to confuse the ongoing farmer protests in Delhi with the Kashmir issue and confounded his colleagues with the suggestion that "these are pre-eminently matters for those two governments to settle".
Johnson's remark, which left MPs and commentators in the UK and beyond baffled, came in response to a question from Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi on whether he would convey to PM Narendra Modi "our heartfelt anxieties, our hopes for a speedy resolution to the current deadlock, and does he agree that everyone has a fundamental right to peaceful protest?"
Johnson replied, "Of course. Our view is that, as the right honourable gentleman knows well, of course, we have serious concerns about what is happening between India and Pakistan."
The Slough MP, who had organised the letter to UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab that 35 other British MPs – mainly Labour – signed, wants a meeting convened urgently to "discuss the deteriorating situation in the Punjab and its relationship with the Centre".
On Wednesday, during the weekly Prime Minister’S Questions event, he said: "Many constituents, especially those emanating from the Punjab and other parts of India, and I, were horrified to see footage of water cannon, tear gas and brute force being used against peacefully protesting farmers. However, it was heartwarming to see those very farmers feeding those forces who had been ordered to beat or suppress them. What indomitable spirit and it takes a special kind of people to do that."
Labour MPs swiftly took to Twitter to condemn the UK PM’s response. Dhesi tweeted a video of the exchange and said, "It might help if our PM actually knew what he was talking about!"
Another Sikh MP, Preet Kaur Gill, tweeted, "The foreign sec @DominicRaab has failed to brief this PM on one of the largest protests the world has seen."
Emily Thornberry MP, shadow international trade secretary, tweeted, "It would seem our Prime Minister (and former Foreign Secretary) doesn’t know the difference between Punjab and Kashmir. Why are we not surprised?"
Afzal Khan, who is of Pakistani origin, said, "The PM responded with a rehearsed and unrelated answer about India and Pakistan. The issue has nothing to do with Pakistan. Incredible."
Debbie Abrahams MP, who was deported from India on 17 February 2020, and promptly flew to Pakistan to meet PM Imran Khan, who has in the past been highly critical of the Indian government and who chairs the Kashmir APPG, tweeted, "Johnson clearly had no idea of the issues farmers in India are facing. His response was absolutely bizarre."
Some interpreted the PM’s remarks as showing deep insights into vested interests behind the protests on the outskirts of Delhi. The twitter handle British Indians Voice tweeted the exchange saying: "#BritishIndians thank to @BorisJohnsonagain for standing with India. We understood this #AntiIndia #Khalistan2020 agenda is of Pakistan and naturally #LabourParty MP’s are giving it a voice... Isn’t it @TanDhesi @Keir_Starmer?"
Political analyst Kapil Dudakia tweeted, "Brilliant, PM Johnson basically associated the whole thing with Pakistan. Dhesi looked totally out of his depth."
TOI contacted Number 10 to establish what Johnson had meant. A UK Government spokesperson said, "Our line on the farmers’ protests is that they are a matter for India. Nothing to add to that."
Johnson's estranged barrister wife Marina Wheeler QC is half-Indian.