Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh has reportedly termed Hurriyat leaders as Indian citizens and said that they can meet representatives of foreign governments in India.
According to a report in The Time of India, Singh made the clarification while answering a query last week over the meeting of Hurriyat leaders with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.
In a written reply to Parliament, the MoS External Affairs said that "separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir are Indians", adding that the "government is aware of presence of Hurriyat and separatist leaders at the Pakistan High Commission on Pak national day".
"Since Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India, these Kashmiri leaders are Indians...there is no bar on Kashmiri leaders meeting representatives of other countries in India," he added.
While the opposition has termed it a u-turn by the government over Hurriyat, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju dismissed the charge.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also used the opportunity to attack the central government, calling it visionless and directionless.
"Only two words can be used for this government – visionless and directionless...we have already said it previously, but thankfully this government has admitted it now," he said.
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