The Congress today supported the government's stand in dismissing the UN report on human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, terming it a "prejudiced attempt" by vested interests to hurt India's sovereignty and national interests.
Condemning the United Nations report, the opposition party said it needs to be junked as it has not taken into account the ground realities in Kashmir and has encouraged terrorists by terming them militant groups.
The report has been prepared without understanding the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said and asked if the United Nations should overlook state-sponsored terrorism being exported on Indian soil by Pakistan.
"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inseparable part of India. We reject UN Human Rights Report as a prejudiced attempt by vested interests to hurt India's sovereignty and national interests," he said.
"Congress party supports the government's stand in dismissing the report," he added.
The UNHRC, the Congress leader said, prepared the report remotely with zero understanding of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
"How does the report justify terrorism by self styled militants of JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen? Should the UN overlook the state sponsored terrorism being exported on Indian soil by Pakistan?" Surjewala asked on Twitter.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel echoed him and said the report was mischievous and misleading.
"We reject any such ploy to interfere in the internal affairs of India as Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Government deserves our full support to deal with the report."
Addressing reporters at the AICC headquarters, Congress leader and former Union minister Rajeev Shukla also condemned the report and said the Congress party supports the stand taken by the government of India on the issue.
He also said terrorists cannot be termed militant groups fighting for their cause.
"I feel the United Nations report has been prepared without visiting the ground and I do not consider it right. The Congress supports the stand taken by the government of
India... terming terrorists as militant groups and encouraging them should be rejected and condemned.
The report is "not right" and should be rejected outright, he said.
Shukla also demanded strong action against terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We reject and condemn this report, which is completely uncalled for," he added.
India earlier today rejected the UN report alleging human rights violations in Kashmir as "fallacious, tendentious and motivated".
In a strong reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the report is "overtly prejudiced" and seeks to build a "false narrative".
It violated the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, it said.
In the report released today, the UN talked about alleged human rights violations in both "Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir" and sought an international inquiry into these abuses.
"India rejects the report. It is fallacious, tendentious and motivated. We question the intent in bringing out such a report," the MEA said.
It added that the report is a selective compilation of largely unverified information.
"The report violates India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the MEA said.
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