Liam Byrne raises Kashmir to attract sharp criticism from Lord Ranger

Labour Candidate for Birmingham Hodge Hill has said that people of Kashmir are angry and waiting for justice. Liam Byrne has said that Kashmir is not just an issue between India and Pakistan but also involves China and the stakes are as high as possible. His comments attracted sharp criticism from Indian origin peer Lord Ranger who accused Labour Party of divisive politics.

Claiming that the people of Kashmir are “tired of injustice” Liam Byrne said that people are hurt. “In parliament, we have sought nothing more and nothing less than speak with in voice of our community. A community which is angry, a community which is hurt, a community that will not stop until justice is delivered”, said Mr Byrne.

On Kashmir issues reaching international community

He thanked the people for taking the issue to “international community”. “Thank you for the pressure that you took to the streets. Thank you for the pressure that you took to the international community to demand the voices in pain will be heard. You have to end the lockdown and you have to begin to withdraw the troops”, added the Labour candidate.

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'Kashmir issue involves China'

Byrne, who has been the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004, said that the issue of Kashmir did not involve only India and Pakistan but also China and it will impact the geopolitics of the region. “Right now China has become the number one consumer of the oil that is drilled from the Persian Gulf. How does that get to China? Through a pipeline that is built through Pakistan. Do you seriously believe that China is going to allow India to put a thumb on its jugular vein? Of course not”, said the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

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Indian origin peer Lord Rami Ranger launched an attack on the Labour leader and accused him of playing vote bank politics. “Their sympathy for Kashmir is not genuine but an act of politics to get votes of the Pakistanis and Kashmiris living in the United Kingdom”, said Lord Ranger. He said that the “Labour Party has divided Britain on racial and religious basis as never before” and the comments on Kashmir was an attempt to divide people who have been living peacefully in the United Kingdom.

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