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Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by Official Spokesperson (September 12, 2019)

September 13, 2019

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Friends, good afternoon and welcome to this weekly briefing. I have no announcements to make so we can move to Q&A.

Question: Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that there will be no second meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and the Indian diplomat, your reaction to this. And secondly, on Kartarpur, any headway because we know that Pakistanis have been saying that $20 surcharge, they are adamant on that?

Question: Kulbhushan Jadhav ko lekar jo stithiyan utpann huiin hain, Pakistan ne kahaa hai ki second consular access nahii denge, to ICJ ka verdict hai wo kyaa kahtaa hai aur Pakistan ke is inkaar karne ke baad Bharat kii stithi kyaa hogi? Doosara sawaal, Bharat aur China ke beech jo stand-off create hua hai, us par aapka reply chaahunga.

(Situation that has evolved with regards to Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistan has said that they will not grant second consular access. So what does the verdict of ICJ says on this and what will be the stand of India after this denial by Pakistan? Second, what would be your reply to the recent stand-off between India and China?)

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Sabse pahle to Kulbhushan Jadhav ke sawaal pe, aap logon ko pataa hogaa ki 2 September ko hamarechargé d'affairesko consular access milaa thaa, aur wo jo consular access milaa thaa wo International Court of Justice ke direction pe milaa thaa.

Ye bhi aap logon ko pataa hai ki jo ICJ ki judgement huii thii wo hamaare haq mein thii, hamare favor mein thii. Humne Pakistan se lagaataar kahaa hai ki hum iskii poorii tarah se aur hum ye koshish bhii karte rahe hain ki iskii poorii tarah se implementation ho. Aap jo bataa rahe hain humne unkaa bayaan sunaa hai. Hum fir bhi lagaataar koshish karenge ki International Court of Justice ki jo judgement hai uskii full implementation ho aur jahaan taka aage ka sawaal hai,

(First on Kulbhushan Jadhav, as you all are aware that on September 2 ourchargé d'affaires was given consular access which was in line with the directions of ICJ.

You all are also aware of the fact that the verdict of ICJ was in our favor. We have continuously requested Pakistan to fully comply with the verdict and we have tried that the same is implemented in totality. Whatever you are saying, we have heard that statement. We will still try that the verdict of International Court of Justice is implemented fully.)

We would like to remain in touch with the Pakistani side through diplomatic channels. Beyond that I don’t think it is proper for me to get into details as to how it is going to be done. As I mentioned in the past as well that these things have to be discussed through diplomatic channels and that is where I would leave it at this point of time.

On the Kartarpur Sahib project, you are aware that third joint secretary level meeting took place on September 4 at Attari in Punjab and this was to basically discuss and finalize the modalities for facilitation of pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.

We had hoped that all pending issues will be resolved. However, we realized that Pakistan was quite inflexible during the talks and there are three instances where we approached them to show some flexibility. The first one was on their insistence on charging $20 per pilgrim to visit the Kartarpur Sahib. This was strongly opposed by our side.

They also did not agree to the initial number which we had proposed i.e. ten thousand, that this is the number which should be allowed to visit Kartarpur Sahib during special occasions. That was not agreed to by them. They cited some constraints on infrastructure side but we did request them to show some flexibility on this.

And the third was presence of a consular officer or presence of a protocol officer who should accompany the delegation or pilgrims who are going to visit Kartarpur Sahib every day. So on all these three counts we did not get a favorable response. We remain committed to the project as I have indicated in the past that as far as infrastructure project goes, we are on schedule, we are confident that all our projects will be completed before the scheduled time.

We have urged Pakistan to show some flexibility. It is involving the sensitivities of people, it is a long pending demand and we have urged them that Pakistan has to show a little of flexibility on this matter so that we can proceed without any hindrance in the run up to the celebrations involving 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Further, you must have seen that there is a statement which has been issued by the Ministry of Defence, they have tweeted on this. So the matter stands resolved. I think what is important to note that there are existing mechanisms between India and China to address such issues. It is also important to note that how quickly the matter got resolved. So it means that the mechanism which exists between India and China are working very well.

I was reading the tweet on my way to office and they have said that at the delegation level talks between the two sides, the matter got resolved peacefully between the two sides.

Question: The SR level talks on boundary was expected to be held in the second week of September I believe. Why they were not held and will they be held around the time when President Xi visits India?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:You see, as a general rule if we have not announced dates of any meeting, visit or engagement, I think it would be wrong to interpret that they have been postponed.

Now you can only say they have been postponed if we had announced and the visit had not taken place. I have noticed such instances at least on two or three occasions in the past. Now this is a meeting, it is an important meeting which is supposed to be held. We have not yet announced the dates for the visit. Like any other meeting, visit between the two sides as and when we come up with the dates or finalize the dates and the venue, I think the announcement will be made.

I really am not in a position to say whether this is going to take place before the next informal summit between India and China. If it gets finalized then of course I will be happy to share the dates with you.

Question: There have been reports of journalists being asked to leave Assam, some foreign journalists have reported that they were asked to leave Assam and also has there been any update on some regulation for foreign journalists reporting from these areas?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:You know, the report that you are referring to was a false report and that has been denied by the foreign journalist in question. That has also been denied by the foreign correspondents club which were referred to in that article.

You see there are basically four different categories for which a foreign journalist has to seek prior permission of the Ministry of External Affairs. We, of course, get inputs from other ministries. The first is the entire state of Jammu& Kashmir. The second is, all the states under the North East. The third is restricted area permit and the fourth is protected area.

So if a foreign journalist has to visit any of these four categories, they have to seek prior permission from the Government of India. The process is the moment they make an application we seek inputs from different agencies and once we get those inputs we pass it onto them.

I should also take this opportunity to categorically deny that there has been any change which has been carried out in the areas which required prior permission. There were a couple of articles which mentioned that some of the areas have been included recently. There has been absolutely no change in those areas for a long time. I think these rules and regulations go back a long time. And again the case is handled depending upon the local law and order situation which is prevailing in that part of the country.

Question: Around the tentative dates hain jo Chinese President ke visit kii usii dauraan Arunachal aur Assam mein jo naii Mountain Strike Corps banii hai unki exercises hain. Do you see any contradiction?

(Around the tentative dates of the visit of Chinese President exercises of the newly formed Mountain Strike Corps are scheduled in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Do you see any contradiction?)

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Aap kuch jyada link kar rahe hain ismein. Ek to, dono alag-alag cheezein hain.

(I think you are trying to find too much links between the two as both are quite separate matters.)

I think both the developments are separate. You are aware that the visit of Chinese President was announced way back and that was announced during the first informal summit in Wuhan.

The development which you are referring to has happened very recently. So I don’t think there is any connection between the two. Yes, of course we are looking forward to the next informal summit and we will announce the dates and venue of the meeting very soon.

Question: Regarding Kashmir, we have seen that Pakistan has been spreading fake narratives all over the world. So is there any effort from the government side to counter that narrative at different levels?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:The short answer is yes. But I think I should take you to what happened few days ago at the UN Human Rights Council. There our delegation put forth our position, we have had a national statement on human rights situation in India and we also responded to Pakistan’s distorted statement, the lies which they put out using the right to reply.

Two or three things became very clear. The first is Pakistan’s attempt to polarize and politicize the situation that has been rejected, that was very clear. The global community is aware of Pakistan’s role in aiding, abetting and supporting terrorist infrastructure which they have in their country.

Secondly, it is a case of double speak. It is quite audacious on the part of Pakistan that the country which is harboring terrorists, which is the epicenter of terrorism, is pretending to speak on behalf of the global community on human rights. Now this is very rich. Their record of persecution of minorities, both ethnic and religious, I don’t think I need to explain and amplify.

I think they need to understand that repeating a lie four or five times does not turn it into a gospel truth and that I think came out very clearly at the Human Rights Council. I think the credibility of the messenger here is something which is highly suspect and this is something which the global community is aware of.

What did we do and how are we countering, that is a very good question. You see, at the global level and at the diplomatic level of course that is being countered, the lies and deceit, the propaganda which they are trying to spread and there is a broad understanding of our position among the international community and at the same time we had explained our position both in relation to Article 370 and how it is done in the framework of the Indian Constitution and how these changes are necessary for the development and prosperity of the state. And on the second aspect about the human rights situation in Jammu & Kashmir and there is something which we have pointed out, highlighted to all the interested countries and international organizations.

And if could take this opportunity to give an update. You see, because there are also a lot of, I should say, motivated stories especially in the international press. All the essential supplies, till yesterday, I think I have the report of yesterday, all essential supplies including 24/7 electricity, water supply, health care, education and sanitation are being insured. Hospital and medical facilities are functioning normally. There is no shortage of medicines.

All 376 notified medicines and 662 essential medicines, we have adequate supply in the state. We have supplies which could last almost six weeks. 95 percent of healthcare professionals are on duty. More than 400 thousand patients have been attended for various ailments. 35000 patients admitted, 11000 surgeries performed since August 5, 2019. This is in response to some reports which claim that there is a shortage of essential medicines.

Banking and ATM facilities are operating normally and on restriction part, I think it is very important to understand that 92 percent of the area of Jammu & Kashmir has no restrictions and out of 199 police stations in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, only 11 police stations have day time restrictions.

Now, I am sure some of you might have seen, again in a foreign press, where they have tried to project the situation in one police station in Sri Nagar as a representative of what is going on in that region and if you look at the facts and figures, I think that is something which is absolutely incorrect. If you are focusing on one out of 199 and if that one has restriction, that is not how the situation of the state at this point looks like.

There are several other things, landline communications have been restored fully. All telephone exchanges are fully operational, mobile connectivity is being extended gradually including in Sri Nagar. On the economic activity you must have seen the reports that the government has launched a special market intervention price scheme to procure 1.2 million metric tons of apple and committing almost $800 to support the livelihood of farmers in the process.

There are efforts being made to ensure that normalcy returns as quickly as possible. The government of Jammu & Kashmir is fully committed towards this exercise and we hope that this happens at the earliest possible time.

Question: The question is on Kartarpur. Was the technical team apprised of this $20 fee when they went for the talks, is there any negotiations happening?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:I just answered, look basically I said that we had gone there with an open mind, with a view to kind of resolve all the outstanding issues and that is where Pakistan, kind of, insisted that there has to be a fee of $20.

Question Contd.: But was it the first time when they brought this $20 fees or it was discussed?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:No, it was not discussed and I think since then we have requested that look, this is to be reconsidered and this is in the interest of pilgrims. You can’t charge somebody who is going on pilgrimage and we have requested them to reconsider this decision.

Question: There have been reports that there have been 40 infiltrations by groups of terrorists into J&K and there could be a big terror strike in the offing, how would you like to respond to that, that is one. And the second is on the consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistan has already said that there will not second access and you said that you are talking to them, so does this mean that you are still hopeful that they will change their mind or you are urging them to change their mind?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:As far as second question, I will not answer it again as I have already answered it. I would rather have this exchange between India and Pakistan through the diplomatic channel and I will not use this podium to share any more information.

On the terrorist groups which are planning to enter India, I think this is public knowledge. We have seen in the past that how Pakistan has supported those terror groups operating from its soil to launch attacks into India, and to infiltrate into India and I think there have been statements made in the past, in the last few days not only by senior officials in the Government of India but also the Armed Forces.

We, of course, maintain our vigil and my sense is that perhaps at some stage Pakistan has to understand futility of this exercise. I think this is not normal, as I mentioned in the past, this is not normal behavior which you can expect from a neighbor.

Question: Can you just reconfirm how many million dollars for Kashmir for farmers support?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:I think you are talking about apple crop, that is $800 million.

Question: Pakistan floated what it called the joint statement at the UNHRC on situation in Kashmir and a member of their delegation said that at some point of time they would give the list of some 60 odd countries that are supporting it. Have we got this list?

Question: On the UNHRC, just adding to the previous question. IN terms of three things that Pakistan were looking at, have they got any support i.e. special session, resolution and urgent debate?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Look, if they had got any support you’d have known. I mean it is not a secret session of the UN Human Rights Council. As far as the joint statement which I have heard that they are planning to release or they claim that they have support, I think the list of country which supports them, I think you will have to ask them to provide.

Question Contd.: ………. Inaudible………..

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:That is not true. Till the time I was coming into the room here, we did not had that list, number one. Number two, you have to understand that in the UN Human Rights Council there are 47 member including India and Pakistan and they are claiming 60. It means that either they have gone beyond this committee to the wider international community but again coming back to the same point that for them to talk about human rights, for them to champion and be the voice or the international community on human rights and at the same time trampling the voices of their own minority, both ethnic and religious, in their own country. I think it is something which Pakistan does not have any, I should say, right but I think perhaps they are in a position where I think it is quite a desperate situation for them and that is why I think they are indulging in these sort of measures.

On our part, I think we are quite confident that the members of human rights council are aware about our position on Article 370 and they are also aware of the steps which we have taken in Jammu & Kashmir to restore normalcy in that region.

Question: Coming back to Kulbhushan Jadhav, jab hamein consular access milii thii tab ek short press release aayaa thaa hamaare pass jismein kahaa gayaa thaa ki kuch wahaan par huaa lekin uske baad ye bhi kahaa gayaa ki detailed report bhi hamein milegi, kya wo detailed report hamein mil chuki hai aur usmein kyaa kuchh hai?

(Coming back to Kulbhushan Jadhav, when we were granted consular access a short press release was issued mentioning that something has happened there. But after that it was also mentioned that we will also get the detailed report, so have we got that detailed report and what all is there in that detailed report?)

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Detailed report mil chuki hai lekin main uske baare mein yahaan share nahi kar sakta hoon. Detailed report ke basis par main ye bataa rahaa hoon ki hum Pakistan ke saath normal diplomatic channels ke through baatcheet karenge. Detailed report milii hai, itnaa time nahi lagtaa hai detailed report aane mein.

(Yes, we have received the said detailed report but it would not be possible for me to share that report. On the basis of the said detailed report I can tell you that we will have talks with Pakistan through our normal diplomatic channels. Yes, we have got the detailed report and it does not take very long to receive the detailed report.)

Question Contd.: Kartarpur Corridor kii meeting jab last huii thii to usmein Pakistan ne ek dossier saunpaa thaa Bharat ko allegation lagaate hue, kya Bharat us dossier ka jawaab degaa?

(During the last meeting on Kartarpur Corridor Pakistan has submitted a dossier making some allegations. So will India reply to Pakistan on that?)

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Dekhiye aisaa hai ki dossier ka khel jo hai ye Pakistan ka bahut puraanaa hai aur ye saari unkii strategy hai ki jo hamaaraa main objective hai, hamaaraa objective kyaa hai Kartarpur Sahib mein, ki jo November ka date hai uske pahle hum saare maamle ko sulajhaa lein, ek understanding bane ki hamaare pilgrims kaise jaaenge. Mujhe lagataa hai ki ye saari cheezein wo karte hain ki jisase ki attention divert ho jaaye aur unko ek excuse mil jaaye ki bhai hum ye nahii kar paaye kyonki humne ye kahaa thaa, to isakaa jawaab mere paas yahii hai.

(See, this game of dossier by Pakistan is a very old one and all of this is their strategy that our main objective, what is our main objective in Kartarpur Sahib, that before the date of November we reconcile all the issues and an understanding is formed regarding how the pilgrims will visit the Kartarpur Sahib. I think they indulge in all these things to divert our attention and they get an excuse to say that they were not able to do it because they had said something. This is my reply to the issue.)

Question: This is now likely to play out at UNGA as well, Pakistan will raise it. How is India gearing up and when Prime Minister Modi sits down with Donald Trump, this will give another opportunity to India to explain what is happening in Kashmir and the steps being taken?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:You are presuming too many things at the same time. One, I have not shared at any point of time till this day that there is going to be a meeting. I can only share and which I have done in the past that there is a visit which is taking place and in fact if I can just repeat the dates of the visit, basically it is from late evening of the 21st September to the forenoon of 27th September when Prime Minister will be there.

He will be attending the high level segment of the UNGA. There are few meetings. Bilateral meetings of course will be arranged. He will also be part of several multilateral exchanges. There is an Indian community event in Houston but beyond this we are going to have on record special briefing next week where we will have more details about day-wise programs and also if any bilateral meeting which have been confirmed till that time, that we will be happy to share with you.

Question: Aaj first SCO Military Medicine Conference thaa, uske liye kyaa Pakistan ko invite kiyaa gayaa thaa aur agar kiyaa gayaa thaa to unki taraf se kyaa jawaab thaa kyonki aaj Pakistan us conference ka hissaa nahii thaa?

(Today it was the first SCO Military Medicine Conference, was Pakistan invited for the same and if they were, what was their reply because they were not part of today’s conference?)

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Jahaan tak meri jaankaari hai ki unko invite kiyaa gayaa thaa lekin aaj kii meeting mein unhone participate nahii kiyaa thaa.

(As far as my information goes, yes they were invited but they have not participated in today’s meeting.)

Question: To take you back to Assam and the NRC, now the Home Minister has said that no infiltrator would be allowed to stay in Assam, he said it on his recent visit to Assam. Now how does the MEA see this especially because where do these infiltrators go then?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:You see, as a generic proposition, can somebody tell me which country allows an illegal person to stay in its territory. I mean this is something which I think we all of have to ponder over. Of course the due process has to be followed and it is being followed.

We have explained that NRC is a statutory process, it is transparent process, it is a legal process which is mandated by the Supreme Court. So it is not an executive driven process. Whatever the executive is being told by the Supreme Court that is being followed, number one.

Number two, it is a non-discriminatory process. So there is no question of any bias or prejudice when the list of 1.9 million excluded people which has been drawn up.

The third is, and this is something which we have again highlighted, that there is a right to appeal at the tribunal. There is a certain timeframe which has been set and even beyond the tribunal you have the right to appeal at the High Court and the Supreme Court.

The person who has been excluded he is not stateless, he is not to be declared as foreigner. That is one part of the story. On the other part during the recent visit of External Affairs Minister you must have heard what he said. He was pointedly asked this question and he clarified that NRC process is an internal matter of India so that is where I would leave it. I don’t think I should qualify what the External Affairs Minister has said.

Question: RCEP deadline is close by and we have already just made announcement..

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:I have said it in the past also that this is a process which is driven by them and I think you will have to find a way to address this question to them.

Question: On Kashmir, is there any decision taken on when the political leaders who have been held, will be freed?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:You see, we have said in the past that the decision on the communication restrictions which are in place and also on the preventive detention of people, this is being taken at the local level in view of the prevalent situation and also to maintain the law and order. I really can’t say and predict as to when these things would happen. My ministry is not the right ministry for this but I am just trying to recollect what has been said in the past including the statement which has been made by the National Security Advisor few days ago.

Question: What’s India’s response to cancellation of talks between Taliban and the United States?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:We have seen these reports and as you are aware and as I have mentioned in the past that we are following the developments including the talks between the Taliban and the US very closely. We believe that all sections of the Afghan society including the legitimately elected government should be part of this. We have supported the election which is the process that is about to unfold later this month.

Our point of view is that any process should respect the constitution legacy and political mandate, it should not lead to any ungoverned spaces where terrorists and their proxies can relocate and should have the full consent of the Afghan people and the government. We are reasonably confident that any decision on the peace process which is being taken by the international community including the US will accommodate our concerns in this regard. We have shared these concerns with them at different intervals including during the visit of the Special Envoy on Afghanistan to India several times in the past few months.

Question: Extension to the last question, we have seen for a very long time Indian policy on Afghanistan and talks with Taliban being Afghan led, participated etc. has there been any change after Donald Trump has pulled out of talks and do we still maintain that talking to the Taliban came under that nomenclature of Afghan led and Afghan driven?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Just to clarify there has been no change in the statement which we normally make i.e. Afghan led, Afghan owned and Afghan driven process but I think you should also see that statement in the light of what I have just mentioned which is that we feel that all initiatives and processes should include all sections of the society from Afghanistan including the Afghan government especially when we are moving towards peace and reconciliation process within Afghanistan.

Question: Has India proposed any amount as fees to be charged from the pilgrims?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:I think I was not able to clarify, there is no question of any fee from our side. This is a fee which is being contemplated which Pakistan has indicated that it will charge the Indian pilgrims who intend to visit Kartarpur Corridor. I think the fee is around $20, if I am not mistaken, per person.

Question Contd.: It is what they have proposed, has India agreed to some minimum amount?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:There is no question of minimum amount. We have, of course, argued that this something which has sentimental and religious value and there should be no entry fee at all for any pilgrim who wants to visit Kartarpur Sahib.

Question: ……….. Inaudible………….

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:It is exactly the same thing, you may give it whatever nomenclature you want but the fact is that any pilgrim who is visiting will have to pay. Now whether it is a tax, visa fee or service fee, the bottom line is that the pilgrim will have to shell out that amount and give it to the Pakistani side. Nomenclature doesn’t matter here.

Question: Is a high powered delegation from India visiting Iran and any plans on resuming the oil imports, anything going on there?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:I am not aware of any high power delegation. I think if it is a high power delegation and if it is on oil imports, it may be led by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. I am not aware of any such delegation.

On the Iranian oil issue you know our position. If you want I can repeat but there is no change in it.

Question: As you rightly said that no country will allow any illegal to stay, so after the end of the tribunal process what will happen actually, are we going to send these illegal Bangladeshis to Bangladesh? Have we taken up the issue with Bangladesh?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:No, as I did quote what EAM mentioned in Bangladesh, he said that it is an internal matter. And we are talking about a process which is a fairly long process. We are talking about the tribunal, we are talking about the legal process, the high court, the supreme court.

You see it is too much into the future. Let us not talk about what will happen and how the whole thing is going to be sorted out. What we understand is that it has been a fair and transparent process and what happens in the future that will be decided at a later stage, I have not answer to that.

Question: During the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France it was decided that Minister Piyush Goyal will be travelling to the US before the Prime Minister goes for UNGA. Have the dates been worked out for the trade talks?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar:Again I am afraid that you are asking the wrong person. I admit that this was an important part of the discussion, it was also agreed that the Trade Minister’s talk should happen as soon as possible but I am afraid I don’t have the dates of the visit of the minister.

I don’t see any other hand. Thank you very much. Thank you all for joining.

(Concludes)

Disclaimer: This is an approximate transcription

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