India criticises OIC for inviting Hurriyat to its Pak meet

India on Thursday criticised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the invitation to the chairman of All Party Hurriyat Conference for its council of foreign ministers’ meeting in Islamabad and said it takes “very seriously” such actions which are aimed directly at subverting India’s “unity and violating our sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also took a dig at Pakistan over the issue and said OIC should refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit its platform for comments on Indian internal affairs. He said India does not accept OIC encouraging the actors and organisations engaged in terrorism and anti-India activities.

“We have seen media reports in India regarding the invitation extended by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) secretariat general to the chairman of All-party Hurriyat conference to attend the forthcoming 48th session of the OIC Council of foreign ministers in Islamabad on 22-23 March,” Bagchi said at the weekly media briefing responding to a query.

“The Government of India takes very seriously such actions which are aimed directly at subverting Indian unity and violating our sovereignty and territorial integrity. India calls upon the OIC to refrain from allowing the vested interest to exploit its platform for comments on Indian internal affairs,” he added. Bagchi said it is “highly unfortunate” that OIC continues to be “guided by the single member’s political agenda rather than focusing on other important developing activities”. “We have repeatedly called upon the OIC to refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit its platform for comments on Indian internal affairs,” he said.