After UK's Conservatives have taken a string of former Labour strongholds, with the ruling party forecast to win the general election, Jeremy Corbyn stepped down as Labour party leader. Jeremy Corbyn announced on Friday that he will not lead the UK Labour party into another general election, following what he described as a "very disappointing night" for the main opposition party of the country.
On October 19, 2019, UK Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn held what he described as "very productive" talks with representatives of the Congress Party, during which both sides discussed the human rights situation in Kashmir after the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
"A very productive meeting with UK representatives from the Indian Congress Party where we discussed the human rights situation in Kashmir, Corbyn said in a Twitter statement.
"There must be a de-escalation and an end to the cycle of violence and fear which has plagued the region for so long," notes his statement, alongside an image of him joined by Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry with a group of Congress Party UK delegates.
After which, the BJP lashed out at the Congress over its "shameful shenanigans" and demanded an explanation following the meeting.
The meeting came despite efforts by the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) group within the party urging the Corbyn and Thornberry for a meeting to consider withdrawing the resolution passed at its conference last month.
"We have concerns about the procedure for the selection of the motion, the quality of the evidence that backed it up, the lack of a balanced debate on the subject, and its ultimate selection and adoption," read a letter issued last week by LFIN - a group co-chaired by London's Indian-origin Deputy Mayor for Business Rajesh Agrawal and Darren Jones MP.
The Labour Party resolution tabled at its annual party conference in Brighton and passed on September 26 called on Corbyn to meet the high commissioners of both India and Pakistan to ensure there is "mediation" and restoration of peace and normality to prevent a potential nuclear conflict.
India has categorically told the international community that its move on Kashmir was an internal matter. India maintains Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party has any role in it.
(Inputs from PTI)
