Days after Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke of Kashmir in the same breath as Pakistan and Afghanistan and asked the Islamic community to assist in the struggle against aggressions of the Zionist regime,India on Friday took strong exception to these remarks. It issued a demarche a diplomatic instrument to convey displeasure expressing deep disappointment as it summoned Irans Charge De Affairs. New Delhi also took recourse to a carefully calibrated response as it decided to abstain on a resolution at UN for first time which slams Irans track record on human rights. Traditionally,India always voted against the resolution,conveying solidarity with Tehran. This decision was taken on Thursday,government sources told The Indian Express,as PM Manmohan Singh was consulted before New Delhis UN mission was instructed to abstain from voting late night. In an official response,the Ministry of External Affairs said,Our decision on the vote was made after due deliberations. Eighty countries voted in favour of the resolution,44 voted against it and 57 countries abstained. Khamenei,while addressing Haj pilgrims in Tehran,had said earlier this week,Today the major duties of the elite of the Islamic Ummah is to provide help to the Palestinian nation and the besieged people of Gaza,to sympathise and provide assistance to the nations of Afghanistan,Pakistan,Iraq and Kashmir,to engage in struggle and resistance against the aggressions of the United States and the Zionist regime,to safeguard the solidarity of Muslims. What has riled New Delhi is the fact that this is third such instance in the past five months when statements which impinge on Indias national interest or that question its territorial integrity or sovereignty have been made by leaders in Tehran,government sources said. In July,Khamenei had made statements supporting the struggle in Kashmir and had bracketed the situation with that in Gaza and Afghanistan. On September 18,Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast condemned action against protesters in J&K who were provoked by clippings of alleged desecration of the Koran in the US. While India had served demarches in the past and had asked Tehran to be mindful of Indias core concerns and sensitivities,Tehran always said there has been no change in their official position on Kashmir. It said J&K was Indias internal matter and a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan.
