Subramanian Swamy calls for withdrawing the UNSC petition Nehru had submitted on Kashmir

The Narendra Modi government on Monday, in a historic move, revoked the special status given to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh; and concluded the process of complete amalgamation of the said regions with India which had started with the signing of Instrument of Accession between then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and Dominion of India nearly 72 years ago in October of 1947.

The announcement of the revocation was made by Union Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha. What followed were nationwide celebrations nonetheless some political parties were not happy with developments and had registered their opposition to this critical change of status-quo. Political parties opposing this move included Congress, TMC, DMK, NCP, PDP, NC, JD (U) and the RJD, while surprisingly staunch opponents of the current ruling dispensation AAP and BSP came out and supported this progressive move.

Now as the divisive constitutional provisions have been scrapped calls have also been coming for further rectifying errors of the past administrations. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has demanded the withdrawal of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s petition that sought UN intervention in Kashmir. 

Reiterating his position outside the Parliament, Speaking to IANS Subramanian Swamy pointed out that the decision was illegal and hence should be withdrawn.

“I had had an opportunity to see the documents connected to Kashmir since I was dealing with the kidnapping of Saifuddin Soz’s daughter by the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). The petition filed through the Minister of External Affairs, that is Nehru, did not have cabinet approval and was hence ipso facto illegal,” said Subramanain Swamy.

Subramanian Swamy had also tweeted :“Now Namo Govt must withdraw the Petition filed by Nehru in the UNSC seeking UN intervention in Kashmir. The Petition was filed without Cabinet approval hence illegal”

Now Namo Govt must withdraw the Petition filed by Nehru in the UNSC seeking UN intervention in Kashmir. The Petition was filed without Cabinet approval hence illegal

— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 5, 2019

In the war of 1948 PM  Nehru didn’t allow the  Indian forces  to attack further and take the occupied area in control.  However, PM Nehru under the influence of Lord Mountbatten, lodged  a complaint(to the United Nation’s Security Council thereby making Kashmir an international issue. This move by Nehru came despite constant opposition from Sardar Patel.

“Sardar Patel would have blocked the petition. He had made it clear that once the instrument of accession was signed; there was nothing further to adjudicate. The petition is a dead letter and successive governments have all the rights to withdraw it,” Dr. Subramanian Swamy had also added.

Nonetheless, the blunders committed by the first Prime Minister Nehru have haunted India’s efforts to deal with the rogue nation for long. That very petition became the underpinning of internationalizing Kashmir and providing Pakistan’s stand a legitimacy that it has used ever since. The solution provided by UN Commission was “Issue would be resolved by democratic means of plebiscite once the Pakistan withdrew its troops from captured territory”. While India declared ceasefire on 1st January and halted its military operations Pakistan never removed its forces from captured land and essentially tilting the status-quo in its favor.

India has for long maintained that all the outstanding issues between India and Pakistan are to be resolved bilaterally, Shimla Pact signed between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan on 2nd July 1972 clearly stated that “That the two countries are resolved to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.”  The Lahore Declaration signed during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government in February 1999 had also reiterated India’s stand and stated that both shall intensify efforts for an early and positive outcome of the “agreed bilateral agenda”. Though all the outstanding issue are poised to be resolved bilaterally, Kashmir certainly is an internal matter for India, and Pakistan’s involvement in the issue amounts to nothing more than a foreign intervention on India’s sovereignty.

Withdrawing this petition form the United Nations will surely further give India an edge to deal with Pakistan in a bilateral framework, as has been agreed upon a number of times and would surely amount to a great step towards undoing the historical wrong by PM Nehru.