Britains top newspaper have lashed out at British foreign secretary Robin Cook saying he must take the blame, for pushing the Queen into the middle of a political storm over Kashmir.
In a lead editorial titled Cook spoils the curry, the right-wing Daily Telegraph accused Britains foreign minister of messing up the royal visit by making badly timed statements on Kashmir. (Mr) Cook, a bold but inexperienced foreign secretary has blundered and should apologise for embarrassing the Queen, the Daily Telegraph declared.
The royal visit has received top billing in Britains press, partly because of the controversies which have dogged it since the day it began. Queen caught in crossfire, declared the bold headlines in yesterdays Daily Telegraph Royal visit is hit by Cook-Kashmir row, said the story in The Times, which also pointed the finger at the British foreign secretary. Both newspapers ran lengthy stories on the royal visit and wrote editorials criticising the foreign secretary. The Telegraph said that, the bilateral mood remains sour, because of a string of misunderstandings.
On a slightly lighter note The Telegraph reported the Queen Elizabeth broke with protocol by composing a lengthy tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in the visitors book at Rajghat.
Cook has also been attacked by the British press for playing politics on Kashmir in order to win votes at home. The Pakistani and Kashmiri vote is reckoned to be the key factor in around 30 marginal seats scattered around Britain. Most of these seats are currently held by the ruling Labour party.
Kashmir is a foreign dispute of vital electoral importance, In marginal constituencies where the ethnic vote might make a big difference, political candidates have become experts on the issues, said The Times in an article titled Britain slips in Kashmir quagmire.
The newspaper also pointed out that Cook has goofed up before on Kashmir. In 1995, he made a widely-reported pro-India statement at a public meeting in London. He was forced to backtrack hurriedly after a storm in the British-based Pakistani media. After Cooks last pronouncement he was given a warning that 30 marginal seats where Pakistani votes could tip the balance where at risk, said The Telegraph.
The Telegraph also blamed the Indian press for the trouble surrounding the visit.
Much of the resentment surrounding the state visit has been inspired by an Indian media whose tone ranges from the indifferent to the abusive, the newspaper reported from Delhi.
The Daily Telegraph combined criticism of Britains foreign secretary with a critique of Indias Kashmir policy in its editorial yesterday. Having signally failed to win the hearts of the Kashmiris, India appears ready to sit on the state indefinitely by force.
The Times, however, in a more measured editorial pointed out that the foreign secretary merely accompanies the Queen as an advisor and isnt supposed to conduct working meetings. It said: His courtesy calls should have remained just that anything more is a discourtesy to the Queen.
