New Delhi/Aug,6 : A year after the government altered the status of the former State of Jammu & Kashmir by abrogating Article 370, the leadership of an important committee of the U.S. Congress noted “ with concern” that conditions in the region have not returned to normality, says a report that appeared in ” The Hindu”.
In a letter dated August 5 and addressed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), Democrat Eliot Engel, and Ranking Member (i.e., a Republican) Michael McCaul – who formerly headed the House Homeland Security Committee – underscore the bipartisan nature of the concerns over Jammu and Kashmir and the larger context of the bipartisan support for the U.S.- India relationship.
“ It is because of our support for the bilateral relationship that we note with concern that conditions in Jammu and Kashmir have not normalized one year after India’s repeal of Article 370 and the establishment of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory,” the Congressmen write.
