WASHINGTON: The US state department refused to comment on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech against Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, spokesperson for the State Department Elizabeth Trudeau said the United States had not changed its stance on Kashmir. She added that India and Pakistan should seek out a peaceful solution to Kashmir through talks.
She said that the US was appalled at the human rights violation in Kashmir.
Modi on Monday in a 90-minute long address at Red Fort for the Indian Independence Day remained silent on the human rights violation in Kashmir, but expressed his concern over the Baloch freedom struggle.
“I want to speak a bit about the people in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir,” he said.
“The world is watching, the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan occupied Kashmir have thanked me a lot in the past few days and I am grateful to them. The way people from these Pakistani regions wished me well gives me great joy,” he said.
Modi asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other’s country but avoided the reference of Indian occupation forces atrocities in the Held Kashmir.
“When children were killed in the APS terror attack in Peshawar (about two years back) there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatized. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified,” Modi said.