'China Has No Locus Standi': India Slams Beijing For Raking Up Kashmir Issue At OIC Meet In Pakistan

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a warning, also made it clear that countries should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal matters.

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday slammed China for its "uncalled reference" to India and raking up the Kashmir issue at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Pakistan's Islamabad. 

MEA Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are India's internal matters and Beijing has no locus standi to comment.

Bagchi, in a warning, also made it clear that countries should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal matters, which was an indirect jibe at China for treating the Uyghur Muslims, which has drawn global criticism.

"We reject the uncalled reference to India by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his speech at the Opening Ceremony," MEA statement read.

"Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India. Other countries including China have no locus standi to comment. They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues," the statement added.

The harsh response from India came after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in his speech at the OIC meeting, said, "On the Kashmir issue, we have heard the voices of many Islamic friends again today and China has the same desire for this."

Yi further said that China would continue to support the people of Palestine and Kashmir in their freedom struggles.

Yi's remarks on Kashmir was in response to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's keynote address at the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC at the Parliament House, where he sought to raise the issues of Palestine and Kashmir in the same breath.

India has repeatedly told China and Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" be an integral part of the country. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

This was Pakistan's yet another unsuccessful attempt to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcating it into two Union territories.

During the event, even Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi raised the Kashmir issue and alleged that New Delhi actions violate the resolutions of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and increased the threat of a conflict between India and Pakistan.