OIC resolution on Kashmir: Govt sold out national interest by participating in meet, says Congress

The Congress said the OIC resolution used the phrase “Indian terrorism” in the context of Kashmir. Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government had touted India’s invitation to the OIC summit, marking the 50th anniversary of their first meeting, as a diplomatic success and a recognition of its diplomatic skills.

“But what happened in Abu Dhabi is extremely disturbing for India and every citizen of this country…. We would like to ask the Prime Minister of India, the External Affairs Minister… is this your diplomatic achievement? That you got India labelled as a terrorist state…. You got India labelled as an occupier in Jammu and Kashmir. Is this your great diplomatic achievement that you go to the OIC meeting, you lend legitimacy to them…There is a reason why India had chosen to deliberately ignore these meetings of the OIC over the past so many decades,” he said.

Tewari said the OIC resolution also called upon member states and Islamic institutions to provide humanitarian aid to the Kashmiri people. “Are we not capable of looking after our people? And this humanitarian assistance as a euphemism for what… support to terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress would like to categorically and unequivocally state that the NDA-BJP government sold out national interest in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

“By participating in the OIC meeting and getting such a hostile resolution in response, the NDA government surrendered and sold out the national interest in Jammu and Kashmir. We would like to — in the strongest possible terms — condemn this abject surrender of national interest by the BJP,” he said.

He said the government has been attempting to downplay the “slap on the face” but “if this resolution was of no importance… why did the Ministry of External Affairs at 10.30 pm last night put out a statement reaffirming our stand and J&K. There could not have been a greater and more abject surrender of India’s national interest than the External Affairs Minister providing legitimacy to the OIC by her presence and getting the resolution in return….”