Far-right EU lawmakers visit Kashmir amid unrest

Clashes have broken out in Indian-controlled Kashmir while about 30 far-right European lawmakers were on a contentious visit to the disputed Himalayan region.

Members of the nationalist, anti-immigration and eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, France's National Rally, the British Brexit Party and Poland's Law and Justice party arrived in Kashmir’s main city of in Srinagar on Tuesday afternoon.

They were transported in a cavalcade of black SUVs, accompanied by armed troops and security jeeps, to a military cantonment in the region.

Hours before their arrival, small protests erupted in at least 40 locations around Srinagar. Security forces used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Many streets remained strewn with stones, shops were closed and roadside vendors absent during the visit.

The Indian government said the aim of this visit was to give the deputies "a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity" of the Muslim-majority region.

Indian authorities say the situation in Kashmir is returning to normal and hope that the visit will help counter international condemnation of the government's handling of the situation.

On Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the delegation and said their visit would give them a clear view of the development priorities of the region. The meeting prompted accusations that it aimed to blunt criticism of New Delhi over Kashmir.

Chris Davies, one MEP from Britain's centrist Liberal Democrats, said the New Delhi government withdrew his invitation after he insisted on being able to talk to locals without a police escort. "I am not prepared to take part in a PR stunt for the Modi government and pretend that all is well."

India’s opposition parties are also angry that European lawmakers are being allowed to visit a region from which most Indian politicians have been barred since August 5, when the Modi administration scrapped Kashmir's special status and imposed a harsh crackdown to stifle dissent.

"MPs (members of parliament) from Europe are welcome to go on a guided tour of Jammu and Kashmir while Indian MPs are banned and denied entry," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. "There is something very wrong with that."

In recent weeks, Indian security officials have turned back several opposition politicians from Srinagar airport, saying the situation was not stable enough for such visits.

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The August 5 controversial action has angered Pakistan, which controls parts of Kashmir, and soured Pakistan-India relations.

The New Delhi government imposed restrictions on people's movements and communications in Kashmir to curb unrest there, calling it an internal matter and criticizing countries that have spoken out against the move.

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New Delhi had promised special status to Kashmir when the region was partitioned between India and Pakistan seven decades ago. However, Modi and his nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have long opposed Kashmir’s autonomy.

Kashmir remains a flash point since the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. The nuclear-armed countries claim the region in full but control only parts of it.

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