New Delhi: Opposition parties, the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), upped the heat on Modi government for entertaining a private group of largely far-right Members of European Parliament (MEPs) who are in India to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The state has been in near-complete lockdown since the Centre revoked its constitutional autonomy and decided to bifurcate it into two Union Territories. The Congress has called the private visit of MEPs “an immature, ill-advised and ill-conceived PR exercise of the BJP government.” The CPI(M), too, issued a strong statement questioning the Modi government’s decisions to restrict Indian political leaders from visiting Kashmir while allowing a group of far-right MEPs to make the journey there. In a statement, it said: “The politbureau of the CPI(M) strongly protests the visit of some Members of Parliament from various European countries with rightwing credentials to Kashmir valley orchestrated by the Modi government. It is an affront of the Indian Parliament and its sovereignty, that while Indian MPs and political leadership of national parties are denied the freedom of visit the valley, reportedly some “private visit” by foreign Parliament Members is being allowed.” The Modi government is already under fire from a large section of civil society and media for giving undue attention to the group of MEPs, who were invited by a little-known NGO, Women’s Economic and Social Think Tank (WESTT). Govt allows an unofficial group of EU MPs drawn mainly from Ultra Right Wing, proto Fascist Parties to visit Kashmir with the EU Parliament & even diplomats in Delhi unaware. But wont let Indian MPs to go to Kashmir & keeps 3 ex-CMs, 1000s jailed. Govt shows its true colours! pic.twitter.com/DTZAPTLimh— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) October 29, 2019The NGO is now at the centre of attention for the disproportionate influence it seems to have in the functionings of the Modi government. Not only did it promise the MEPs an exclusive meeting with the prime minister, but it also gave them an opportunity to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for lunch in New Delhi, before departure for Srinagar.Also read: Euro MPs In, Indian MPs Out – and Democracy Down the Drain in KashmirThe MEPs also met with Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu. On Wednesday, the MEPs went on to address a press conference, in which they defended India’s fight against terrorism. This, despite the Ministry of External Affairs formally declaring that it was “not involved and not coordinating the visit.” भाजपा ने एक बार फिर साबित कर दिया है कि उनकी नीतियां भारतीय लोगों के हितों के लिए नहीं बल्कि केवल खुद और उनके आत्ममुग्ध नेताओं के लिए है।#BJPkaFarziRashtravad pic.twitter.com/sN0X9t74UV— Congress (@INCIndia) October 30, 2019Even as a section of the media questioned the diplomatic value of this carefully-orchestrated “private visit”, at least two MEPs from the British Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) claimed that their invitations had been rescinded after they asked for free access to local Kashmiris and journalists during the visit. The opposition parties’ responses comes on the heels of this political context. Questioning the credibility of WESTT, the Congress said that it is telling that Madi Sharma, who runs the NGO, describes herself as an “international business broker”.पिछले 72 साल से देश की स्पष्ट नीति है- भारत हमारा आंतरिक मामला है और इसमें हम किसी भी तीसरे पक्ष की दखलंदाजी कभी स्वीकार नहीं करेंगे। पिछले 3 दिनों में इस नीति को पलटकर मोदी सरकार ने अक्षम्य अपराध किया है: @rssurjewala#BJPkaFarziRashtravad pic.twitter.com/gYJv3U29rV— Congress (@INCIndia) October 30, 2019Alleging that Modi government has committed the “gravest sin” of reversing India’s time-tested policy over the last 72 years, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Kashmir is our internal issue and we will accept no interference or third party mediation of any nature from any government or group of people or organisation or any individual”. He asked why, when “our own Members of Parliament and Leaders of Opposition” visiting Kashmir are being detained and deported from Srinagar airport, the BJP government was “rolling out the red carpet for a private visit by EU MPs.” He also listed out questions for the government: “Will the Prime Minister tell as to who is ‘Madi Sharma’? What is BJP’s connection to ‘Women’s Economic and Social Think Tank’ as also to ‘International Institute for Non-aligned Studies’ [which sponsored the tickets and accommodation of the MEPs]? Why and in what capacity is Madi Sharma fixing an appointment with the Prime Minister for a delegation of EU MPs on a personal visit and why is Government of India facilitating it? Where is the money to finance the entire visit coming from? Why has MEA been completely sidelined?”Calling it the biggest ‘diplomatic blunder’ in India’s history, Surjewala alleged that by allowing such a private visit, “The Modi government has deliberately internationalised the Kashmir issue” and committed “sacrilege by introducing a third party to assess the ground situation in Kashmir”.Also read: European Delegates May Endorse Govt on Kashmir, But Will it Really Help?The Left party, too questioned the special privileges being extended to the MEPs while Kashmiri political leaders remain in custody and detention, and other opposition leaders have been denied entry into the Valley. This unofficial group is overwhelmingly from ultra-right wing pro-fascist parties having relations with BJP. This explains why our MPs aren’t allowed but Modi welcomes them. 3 ex-CMs and 1000s others are jailed & this group of MEPs is preferred over Indian political parties? https://t.co/fGYdCwj87k— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) October 28, 2019“While the situation in Kashmir continues to largely remain in lockdown and the trading bodies have recently reported a Rs 10,000-crore hit to the economy during the last three months, denying visits by Indian political parties and MPs and allowing foreign MPs can never establish ‘normalcy’ that the government claims, but [which] has no material basis,” the CPI(M) said, while demanding that all restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir be immediately removed. Interestingly, Shiv Sena, which is currently locked in a power tussle with the BJP in Maharashtra, also lashed out at the Centre on the issue. Making similar allegations as the opposition did, the party accused the Modi government of unnecessarily internationalising the Kashmir issue, which it held was “an internal matter of India.”“What was the need to allow the EU delegation when everything is normal in Jammu and Kashmir? Kashmir is not an international matter,” Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana said. “Is this inspection by the European Union delegation not an attack on India’s freedom?” the editorial mused, citing how the Centre had recently opposed the intervention of the United Nations on the Kashmir issue.The editorial said that only Union home minister Amit Shah should answer why the European Union delegation was allowed to visit the state. Shiv Sena had wholeheartedly supported the Centre’s decision to render Article 370 powerless.