New Delhi: India on Thursday emphatically rejected a statement issued by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir, asking the cooperation to refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit its platform for comments on internal affairs of the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)'s strong response came in after a statement was issued by the General Secretariat of the OIC on the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, withdrawing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
"We categorically reject yet another unacceptable reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir issued by the General Secretariat of OIC," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, responding to media queries on the OIC statement.
"The OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It is reiterated that the OIC General Secretariat should refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit its platform for comments on internal affairs of India," Bagchi added.
India had on August 5, 2019, announced the withdrawal of the special provisions extended to Jammu and Kashmir along with the decision to bifurcate the state into two union territories.
In its statement, the OIC General Secretariat reiterated its "call to revoke all these steps".
"The General Secretariat further refers to the decisions and resolutions of the Islamic Summit and OIC Council of Foreign Ministers and reiterates its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for the right of self-determination," the statement read.
"It urges to refrain from changing the demographic composition of the disputed territory of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and to respect the basic human rights of its inhabitants," the release added.
The OIC General Secretariat also called on the international community to increase its efforts to resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the "relevant UN Security Council resolutions".