The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday rejected the "factually incorrect, gratuitous and unwarranted" references made by Muslim bloc OIC towards recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir. India has accused the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) of indulging in anti-India propaganda at the behest of Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the founding members of OIC, which is a 57-member body described as the collective voice of the Muslim world. At the 47th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers last week at Niamey in Niger, OIC questioned India's policies on J&K. The resolution, unanimously adopted by the Muslim bloc, the OIC rejected India's unilateral and illegal actions in withdrawing the special status of J&K through abrogation of Article 370.

India slams OIC

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S JaishankarIANS

In response to OIC's Kashmir reference, India slammed and rejected the body's statement. India has also maintained that the group has no locus stand on Kashmir and often rejects its statements.

"It is regrettable that OIC continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country, which has an abominable record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities, to indulge in anti-India propaganda. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," the MEA said in a statement.

The statement is in clear reference to Pakistan. India called the references factually incorrect and said the union territory is an integral and inalienable part of the country.

When India hailed OIC invitation

OIC summit
Wikimedia

Just last year, the Indian government had hailed being invited by the UAE to be a special guest as historic. It did not criticize OIC resolutions and even sent the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Abu Dhabi for the OIC conclave.