‘We are not Muslim-hating Nazis’: Germany’s European MP rejects media’s labels amid J&K visit

Lars Patrick Berg, one of the 23 European MPs to visit Jammu and Kashmir as part of an unofficial delegation rejected the view that they were a group of ‘Muslim-hating’ rightwingers.

He told reporters that he didn’t understand where the impression of them being ‘Muslim-hating Nazis’. He told reporters: “There are those who live by the law and those who don’t, in every society.

Contrary to popular perception as in the media you mention, conservative groups in the European Parliament are not Muslim-hating Nazis. We are concerned, most of all, with the problem of finding a common ‘global cultural identity’.

There is globalization but no global culture yet. This has nothing to do with either racism or nationalism. It’s not a fair assessment that such media are making of us.”

The top police and civil officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday told a delegation of 23 EU MPs that people have been yearning for peace but the terrorists have been continuously threatening them by firing bullets.

During an interaction with the law makers from different European countries, DGP Dilbag Singh said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been peaceful and the security forces have been handling the law and order effectively and "most importantly in a humane manner".

In the last 84 days, not a single life has been lost, he told the EU parliamentarians, who are on a two-day visit to assess the ground situation in the state.

On August 5, the Union government had revoked the state's special status under Article 370 and split it into two Union Territories of J&K and Laddakh, which will come into existence on October



31.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyamgave also gave a detailed presentation to the delegation on the overall situation in the state, besides answering some questions by its members.

When an EU MP asked how the administration has been handling fake news, Inspector General of Police S P Pani said one of the reasons why the administration has shut down the internet service was to check the circulation of fake news.

"We don't want fake news and rumours. We have been taking up such cases with the Twitter and Facebook after presenting evidence and asking them to remove the disturbing contents, fake tweets and posts.

"But many a time they ask us to route the requests through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) which is a time consuming affairs," he told the EU law makers.

The Twitter and Facebook are based in the United States. Through MLAT, law enforcement agencies of different countries help each other in preventing crime and arrest criminals.

Principal Secretary and JK administration spokesperson Rohit Kansal apprised the parliamentarians of the recent local body elections and the significance of removing Article 370.

The Article 370 was discriminatory, he said. Kansal said there were 98 incidents of intimidation by militants to people and more than 350 times, terrorists threatened people through posters.

The team of EU MPs also interacted with members of the public, including the newly-elected panchayat members and councillors, at a five-star hotel here.

As the winter chill settled over the city, some of the delegation members also had boating in the famous Dal Lake here.