NEW DELHI: India has launched a massive outreach in the United States to create a favourable opinion following the government’s move to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir The Indian Embassy in Washington and five of the country’s consulates launched the campaign last week to explain the government's rationale behind the move which took the US by surprise, ET has learnt. The exercise, touching every segment of the decision- making process, comes at a time when Pakistan is lobbying hard to internationalise the issue.While Foreign Minister S Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week explaining India's position, senior Indian diplomats have reached out to various US government arms.These include the State Department, the Department of Defence, President's office, Vice President's Office, National Security Council (NSC), Senators, Congressmen, think-tanks and media, ET has learnt.Jaishankar had met Pompeo three days before the government decided to do away with Article 370.The Indian side briefed key decision makers, including Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan (who is prescheduled to visit Delhi for the Indo-US Forum later this week); Senator Lindsey Graham; Senator Mitt Romney; Congressman Adam Smith, the Chairman of the House Armed Services committee; and Jennifer Witheley, the Deputy Director for India at the NSC, and Neil S. Kromash in the Department of Defence, ET has learnt.Key thinkers who influence US decision making towards India, too, have been briefed.H V Shringla, the Indian Ambassador to the US, also gave a public lecture at the Heritage Foundation , a leading American think tank, explaining India’s reasons for the move.Other leading American think tanks were briefed on the matter. The Indian missions will continue with its outreach in the coming weeks among leading US Senators and key decision makers, informed sources indicated.“The reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and it will have no impact on relations with other countries,” Shringla told the audience at the Heritage Foundation. He said the move will ensure socioeconomic benefits to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the disadvantaged sections of the population."The reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories with their own council and legislature is an administrative decision. It's a decision which seeks to ensure that we provide good governance," Shringla said. He said the reorganisation of a state is not new in India, and Jammu and Kashmir would be the 12th to be reorganised."It's something that doesn't in anyway touch upon or affect the LoC, the international boundary, and therefore, doesn't have any impact on our relationship with any other state (country)," Shringla said, while speaking on "Contemporary India: Foreign Policy, Development Strategy, and Regional Priorities for Modi 2.0".The United States said on Friday that there has been no change in its policy on Kashmir and called on India and Pakistan to maintain restraint. “It’s something that we’ve called for calm and restraint by all parties. We want to maintain peace and stability, and we, of course, support direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on Kashmir and other issues of concern,” the U.S. State Department spokesperson said.