india

Updated: Oct 28, 2019 18:30 IST

At an interaction with members of the European Parliament on a visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called urgent action against all those who support terrorism or use terror as a state policy. “There should be zero tolerance for terrorism,” the prime minister told the visiting group of EU lawmakers.

The group, which will be travelling to various parts of the country, is visiting Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. The group of EU parliamentarians will be the first to travel to Kashmir after the Centre scrapped state’s special status and decided to split it into two centrally-administered territories.

PM Modi told the group that this visit would give them a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity of the state’s three regions; Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and give them “a clear view of the development and governance priorities of the region”.

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PM Modi is also learnt to have explained the context for the government’s recent steps in Jammu and Kashmir, a point that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had elaborated when he met the EU group.

Bill Newton Dunn, who represents the East Midlands in the European Parliament, told news agency ANI, said the group would be travelling to Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. “The Prime Minister explained to us about it (abrogation of Article 370) but I want to see on the ground how it actually is and talk to some local people. What we all want is normalcy and peace for everyone,” he told the news agency.

A statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, which referred to the group’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, said PM Modi appreciated the importance that the parliamentarians attached to their relationship with India by visiting the country right at the beginning of their term.

“India’s relationship with the European Union is based on shared interests and common commitment to democratic values,” PM Modi said, according to the statement.