India flays `misleading’ OIC resolution on Kashmir

India has taken exception to an ill-conceived and unsolicited resolution issued at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Jammu and Kashmir, terming it as 'misleading.'

Reacting strongly to the 57-member body's resolution demanding that New Delhi implement the UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, India on Tuesday said the OIC had no locus standi in the country's internal affairs.

The ministry of external affairs termed the resolutions as also 'misleading'.

In a statement, the MEA said it "notes with utmost regret that OIC, during its 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on July 10-11, has again adopted certain resolutions which contain factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. India outrightly rejects all such references."

"The OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future", the statement added.

OIC secretary general Yousef A Al-Othaimeen had highlighted the activities of a so-called contact group in dealing with the question of J&K.

The OIC, which has members that include states such as Turkey, UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, had issued a similar resolution in April last year as well.

India had then asked OIC to refrain from making statements regarding country's internal matters.

India had, on 15 April 2016, pointed to the "factually incorrect and misleading" references made by OIC during its 13th Summit in Turkey and had asked it to refrain from making such statements.

"We note with utmost regret that the final communique adopted at the conclusion of the 13th Islamic Summit of the Heads of State/Government of the OIC Member States held at Istanbul, Turkey on 14-15 April includes factually incorrect and misleading references pertaining to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. We completely reject all such references regarding matters internal to India, on which the OIC has no locus standi. We further advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," the then MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said.