British MP Bob Blackman has reaffirmed his long-standing support for India's stand on Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the entire Union Territory should be reunited with India. He said his call for the abrogation of Article 370 dates back over three decades and is not linked to the 2019 decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
Speaking at a Hi-Tea programme at the Constitutional Club in Jaipur, Blackman said his position was shaped in the early 1990s, particularly in the wake of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
'Whole of Jammu and Kashmir should be reunited': Bob Blackman
"I didn't just call for the abrogation of Article 370 back when Prime Minister Modi put it in the manifesto and implemented it. I called for this back in 1992, when the Kashmiri Pandits had been forced out of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Recalling his activism at the time, the British MP said efforts were made in the UK to draw attention to what he described as a serious injustice faced by the displaced community. "We held a massive meeting at the time to say to people, this is wrong, this is unjust, that people were being forced out of their ancestral homes purely because of their religion and their background," Blackman said.
He added that he has consistently condemned terrorism in the region and criticised Pakistan’s control over parts of Jammu and Kashmir. "Not only have I condemned the terrorism that takes place, but I also condemned the illegal occupation by Pakistan of parts of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir," the MP said.
"I have said from the word go, the whole of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir should be reunited under the crown of India," he added.
Blackman had condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam
Blackman’s remarks are in line with his earlier statements made in July 2025, when he strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people.
In a post on X at the time, the Conservative MP said he was appalled by the attack that claimed innocent lives, adding that while he was relieved peace had prevailed since then, the situation remained delicate. He urged the UK government to stand firmly with India against terrorism as New Delhi seeks closer security cooperation with Western nations.
Speaking in the UK Parliament, Blackman had also referred to India's response to the attack, including its counter-terrorism action, Operation Sindoor. He described the assault on tourists as a 'barbaric attack' and said he was deeply saddened by the loss of 26 lives.
Although he welcomed the pause in hostilities between India and Pakistan, Blackman cautioned that the truce was fragile and warned against complacency, saying the situation could deteriorate again.
During the Operation Sindoor Global Outreach programme in June, Blackman went a step further, describing Pakistan as a 'failed state' and questioning its civil-military balance. He remarked that it was unclear whether the country was being run by its democratic institutions or its generals, alleging that terrorism was being encouraged from Pakistan into India.
Calling for global support, Blackman said it was important for the international community to stand in solidarity with India.
