India slams OIC for raking up Kashmir issue

NEW DELHI: In a sharp reaction, India today slammed the OIC, an influential grouping of Muslim countries, for making "misleading references" to the Kashmir issue during its conclave, saying the bloc has no locus standi to comment on India's internal matters.

A meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Tashkent, in a resolution, severely criticised India for ongoing violence in Kashmir Valley and said it was deeply concerned at the "alarming" increase in the "indiscriminate use" of force.

"We note with extreme regret that the OIC has again chosen to comment on India's internal affairs during the 43rd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Uzbekistan on October 18-19," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He said certain resolutions adopted at the conclusion of the session contain "factually incorrect and misleading references" to matters internal to India, including Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral part of India.

"We outrightly reject all such references," he said, adding OIC has no locus standi to comment on India's internal affairs.

"We further advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," he said.

In the resolution, the OIC said it condemned use of force to quell protests in the aftermath of killing of Burhan Wani and called upon the international community to "break its deadly silence" over situation in Kashmir.