Here is why UK MP Liam Byrne ‘condemned’ India’s decision to abrogate Article 370, and it has nothing to do with India

Liam Byrne, Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, United Kingdoms from the Labour Party, came out against India on Twitter and said that the decision of the Indian government to integrate Jammu and Kashmir completely with the Indian Union was ‘unacceptable’.

The decision by the Indian Government to revoke #Article370 of the constitution is simply unacceptable. We need justice and a pathway to peace for the people of the troubled region of Jammu and Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/1C4M9kRis9

— Liam Byrne (@LiamByrneMP) August 7, 2019

While Byrne’s statement appears terribly misinformed and quite malicious, a quick check at his background provides an explanation for his conduct. He has been an elected representative from the Hodge Hill constituency since 2004. The demography of his constituency gives away the reason for his statement.

Hodge-Hill has an over 40% Muslim population, 41.5% to be precise, and at least 12.10% of the constituency’s population was born in Pakistan. Of course, the percentage of the population having a Pakistani heritage is much higher. While Indian born population is merely 0.60%.

His constituency, while it was has a 41.50% Muslim population, has only a 0.40% Hindu population, 0.60% Sikh population and 0.20% Buddhist population.

Moreover, nearly 20% of the constituency’s population don’t even speak English. While the Urdu speaking crowd consists of 6.20% and 3.30% speak Pakistani Pahari.

A politician’s primary concern is always securing reelection. Thus, it isn’t any surprise that Liam Byrne has come out all guns blazing on an issue that is strictly India’s internal matter. While one would have expected Byrne to be more concerned with the chaos his own country is on the verge of due to Brexit, he has to take a stand on the issue to appease sections of his own constituency.

Byrne would also be better advised to protect the little girls in his own country from the Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs rather than lecture India regarding its internal matters.