NC VP Omar Abdullah responds to journalist Rahul Shivshakar's post on US diplomats visiting him.
"Dear Mr Shivshankar, Normally I'd ignore misinformation/disinformation that is sought to be passed off as fact but since are an editor in chief & have a leadership role in your organisation I'll make an exception. Firstly NC did not seek a meeting with US diplomats, they reached out and asked us to meet them. Secondly you seem to be poorly informed about the procedure foreign diplomats have to follow when visiting Kashmir so I'm attaching a screenshot of a recent Indian Express article & would request you to read the part about the permissions diplomats have to take so you don't jump to conclusions again. Lastly, I'm so glad you've only objected to the diplomats meeting me & not the other politicians in Srinagar. It reassures me about where I stand in the BJP/Sangh ecosystem."
Rahul Shivshankar, Editor Network 18 wrote:
"What's going on?
After meeting AIMIM chief Owaisi,
U.S diplomats visit NC leader Omar Abdullah. We are told they were invited by NC to convince U.S to withdraw travel advisories issued to US citizens against visiting J&K.
Was Centre kept in loop? Couldn't Centre have delivered the same message? Was a meeting necessary?
Earlier U.S diplomats had thanked Owaisi for his "hospitality" and expressed appreciation for the "informed and important views on a range of shared issues and concerns" that were discussed during the visit.
What were these "shared issues and concerns.?"
Doesn't this amount to involving 3rd parties to interlocute in Bharat's internal affairs? Would U.S like Indian envoys to hold meetings to "share concerns" with their politicians on their soil? And that too, especially in the midst of an election. And if the U.S can have meetings why aren't our diplomats doing the same? Hopefully they are.
There have been no briefings by MEA to explain the context. Why?"
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