Rahul should apologise over remarks on Kashmir: BJP

The BJP on Wednesday said Pakistan has used remarks of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about the situation in Kashmir in a petition to the UN and sought apology from him saying that he had "backtracked" due to anger among people.

Addressing a press conference at the party office here Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said remarks of Gandhi has shown India in bad light.

"Never has India been shown in a bad light as the Congress has done. Rahul Gandhi and Congress should apologise to the nation," he said.

Javadekar referred to Gandhi's remarks during a Congress Working Committee meeting in which he had told the media that there were reports of violence during restrictions imposed by the government following the repeal of Article 370 of the constitution, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir.

"Acts of violence have been acknowledged by mainstream politicians such as the leader of Congress party Rahul Gandhi noted that people are dying," Javadekar said quoting Pakistan's petition.

"This is nothing but vote-bank politics. The Congress party is backtracking because of the anger among the people after Rahul Gandhi's initial statements.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had in tweets that while he disagreed with the government on many issues, Kashmir is India's internal issue and there is no room for Pakistan or any other foreign country to interfere in it.

He had also said that violence in Jammu and Kashmir was due to Pakistan.

"There is violence in Jammu and Kashmir. There is violence because it is instigated and supported by Pakistan which is known to be the prime supporter of terrorism across the world," he said.