Congress slams Modi govt over not objecting to US reference to J&K as 'Indian-administered Kashmir'

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday criticised the government for not objecting to the US reference to “Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir” in designating Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist. “Shocking that US government order on Syed Salahuddin refers to ‘Indian Administered J&K’. No protest from Modi government. Complicit sell-out?” AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.

Shocking that U.S Govt order on Syed Salahuddin refers to "Indian Administered J&K". No protest from Modi Sarkar. Complicit sell-out? 1/n pic.twitter.com/ozoc1AVtkZ

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) June 27, 2017

In a series of tweets on the issue, he said, “Modiji and BJP drumbeat and preach ‘Pseudo Nationalism’ everyday. India asks - why have you accepted US phrase of ‘Indian administered J&K’?” Hitting out at the BJP-led NDA government, he said, “Empty chest thumping, false bravado and captive TV studio warfare by BJP government cannot hide its failures in compromising National Security”.

Modiji & BJP drumbeat and preach "PseudoNationalism" everyday.India asks-why have you accepted US phrase of "Indian Administrated J&K"?2/n

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) June 27, 2017

Surjewala also said terrorism should never be politicised and a collective effort is needed to eradicate it, which should be sans partisan considerations. The Congress leader said one should remember that on 2 June, 2006, the US imposed heavy sanctions on India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim after a motion by then Congress-UPA government. [caption id=“attachment_3367956” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Randeep Surjewala. CNN-News18[/caption] He also said that on 6 August, 2010, Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI) was declared a designated terrorist organisation by the US, again by UPA’s efforts. Similarly, on September 15, 2011, Indian Mujahideen, another terrorist group responsible for a series of attacks was declared by the US as a terror organisation. “On 3 April, 2012 - US had put USD 10 million bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Hafiz Saeed, wanted for the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, again by UPA’s efforts,” he said. The US last night declared Salahuddin, the chief of Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, as a “global terrorist”, dealing a major blow to Pakistan just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first meeting with President Donald Trump. Citing part of the text on the US government’s order, Surjewala said it read: “In September 2016, Salahuddin vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers and vowed to turn the Kashmir Valley ‘into a graveyard for Indian forces’. “Under Salahuddin’s tenure as senior HM (Hizbul Mujahideen) leader, HM has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which injured 17 people,” he said quoting the order. In a notification, the US State Department said Salahuddin, who hails from Kashmir and is based in Pakistan for the last 28 years, “has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism”.