India to use Right to Reply to Imran Khan's anti-India rant at UNGA

India to use Right to Reply in response to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary from the MEA will exercise India's right of reply to Pakistan PM Imran Khan's speech. The Pakistan PM had ranted against India in his speech which had overshot the allotted time of 15-20 minutes. Flouting the time limit, Imran Khan spoke for over half an hour despite the red-light blinking, signalling him to end his speech. In his speech, he continued his false anti-India narrative in relation to the integration of Kashmir. 

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India's Right to Reply

The Right of Reply generally means the right to defend oneself against criticism in the same venue where it was made. While PM Narendra Modi kept his speech within the allotted time, Imran Khan gave an address filled with propaganda and even made embarrassing blunders, one of them being calling PM Modi 'President Modi'. "For a start, they have to lift the curfew, that's the beginning. Even the Congress party in India has commented that poor people have been shut inside for 50 days. No one knows what's happening with the political prisoners... (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has boxed himself in a blind alley," Khan had told reporters at a press conference here on the sidelines of the 74th UNGA session.

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Pakistan PM fearmongers about situation in Kashmir

The cricketer-turned-politician used the global platform to continue his anti-India rhetoric, terming the RSS and BJP as "fascist" and "Hindu supremacist". He warned of what he called "bloodbath" in Jammu and Kashmir ever since India abrogated Article 370 that granted special status in the region. Apart from bashing India in his speech over the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Imran Khan spoke about issues like money laundering, climate change and Islamophobia. This was the Pakistan PM's first-ever speech at the UNGA.

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Pakistan PM threatens Pulwama-like attack

Imran Khan also threatened 'another Pulwama' when restrictions in Kashmir are completely lifted. He fearmongered over the situation in Kashmir (where there is curfew to protect civilians from terror attacks), Khan predicted that there will be a bloodbath when curfew in Kashmir is lifted. He also claimed that the 900,000 troops who are in the Valley to maintain the peace will shoot at Kashmiris retaliating against the abrogation of article 370. Curiously, the Pakistan PM referred to J&K and Ladakh as 'Kashmir' and not 'Indian Occupied Kashmir' which is usual stance of Pakistan.

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