A Conservative MP criticises Labour MPs for their disagreement with the Indian governments stripping a ‘special’ constitutional status from Kashmir.

Bob Blackman, conservative MP for Harrow East has expressed his support of India revoking a special status on August 5 from the Indian constitution which gave some Muslim-majority states more autonomy.

Article 370 allowed Indian parliament to have limited involvement with Jammu and Kashmir, allowing the Muslim-majority states to make their own laws since it was set in the Indian constitution in 1947.

Kashmir became an independent state in 1947 after war broke out between India and Pakistan during the partition of the Indian subcontinent for states like Kashmir and Jammu.

The decision by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modia to scrap the section of the constitution and push integration with India provoked the long-running conflicts between India and Pakistan.

In the letter to the British Prime Minister, Mr Blackman claimed it was “strange” that Labour MPs criticised the Indian government for revoking article 370 and questions if the Labour Party is breaking the UK consensus that any matter involving Kashmir is an issue strictly between India and Pakistan.

Directly in response to comments about ‘land grabbing’ and promoting ‘exclusive Hindu settlements’ made by Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East, Mr Blackman wrote that Ms Quereshi's letter was insensitive due to the Kashmir history of radical Islamists and militants forcing Kashmiri Pandits to convert to Islam or be killed.

The letter by Ms Qureshi was signed by several other MPs including Rushanara Ali and Khalid Mahmood.

Mr Blackman previously spoke about his stance on article 370 last week, he said: “I strongly support the revocation of article 370. Jammu and Kashmir have always been an integral part of India and A370 has always been anomaly: it has held the area back by starving it of investment, through the prevention of external ownership of land.

“Kashmiri Pandits must be guaranteed right of return after they were the victims of ethnic cleansing and this move should prevent any other minority groups being forced to leave the Kashmir Valley.”

Protests in Kashmir have taken place since the loss of the special status.