In a big setback to the Indian government, Elizabeth Warren has become the second US Presidential candidate to express her anguish over the ‘communications blackout and other restrictions’ in Kashmir.
Taking to Twitter, Warren wrote, “The US-India partnership has always been rooted in our shared democratic values. I’m concerned about recent events in Kashmir, including a continued communications blackout and other restrictions. The rights of the people of Kashmir must be respected.”
The US-India partnership has always been rooted in our shared democratic values. I’m concerned about recent events in Kashmir, including a continued communications blackout and other restrictions. The rights of the people of Kashmir must be respected.https://t.co/K7JDmAjQg7
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) October 5, 2019
Earlier, Senator Bernie Sanders, another Presidential candidate, had called upon India to remove the communication blockade in Kashmir. Addressing a campaign rally, Sanders had said that he was ‘deeply concerned about the situation in Kashmir.’ He had added, “The communication blockade must be lifted immediately and the US government must speak out boldly in support of international humanitarian law and in support of UN-backed peaceful resolution that supports the will of Kashmiri people.”
The Indian government recently denied permission to a US senator, Chris Van Hollen, to visit Kashmir to see the situation ‘first-hand.’ Chris Van Hollen is the first US Congressman to have been denied permission by the Indian government after the special status to Jammu and Kashmir was revoked on August 5.
Nearly one crore of the Kashmiri population have been forced to live without any access to mobile phones or the internet since 5 August when the Indian government removed Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. The government has also imposed curfew in large parts of Kashmir and arrested hundreds of politicians in the valley. Local journalists have complained of regular harassment and torture by security forces.
