New Delhi: India on Wednesday reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal affair as it rejected the “uncalled reference” to the same by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his speech at a function in Pakistan.
“Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu and 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,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in response to queries on the Chinese Foreign Minister’s speech.
This comes after Wang had made a reference to Kashmir in his opening speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan.
“On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope,” he had said.
New Delhi’s rejection of Wang Yi’s comments also came amidst consultations between the two sides over a possible visit by him to New Delhi within two days.
China has time and again reiterated its support to the stand of Pakistan, its strategic ally on the matter of Jammu and Kashmir.
Last month, India rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a China-Pakistan joint statement, asserting that the region as well as the Union Territory of Ladakh “have been, are and will” remain integral and inalienable parts of India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also brought up the Kashmir issue at the conference, saying the 57-member body was a “divided house” and thus was not able to make any impact.
“We have failed both the people of Palestine and Kashmir,” Khan said in his keynote address “We are a divided house and they (Israel and India) know it.”
Referring to India’s attempt to repeal Article 370 in August 2019, Khan said “nothing happened because they (India) felt no pressure.”
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Agencies
