New Delhi, October 31

India on Thursday hit back at China after it objected to the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories as “unlawful and void”.

In a strongly-worded reaction to Bejing’s criticism, the External Affairs Ministry raised the issue of China’s continued occupation of a “large tract” of area in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Asking China not to comment on India’s internal affairs, the ministry also said the neighbouring country illegally acquired Indian territories from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) under the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963.  

“The matter of reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is entirely an internal affair of India. We do not expect other countries, including China, to comment on the matters which are internal to India, just as India refrains from commenting on internal issues of other countries,” the MEA said in a statement.

On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh became separate union territories around three months after the NDA government announced withdrawing J&K’s special status and splitting it into two union territories. 

In Bejing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, “India unilaterally changed its domestic laws and administrative division challenging China’s sovereignty.”

“This is unlawful and void and this is not effective in any way and will not change the fact that the area is under Chinese actual control,” he said.

Rejecting China’s comments, the MEA said the neighbouring country continues to be in occupation of a large tract of area in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

“It has also illegally acquired Indian territories from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) under the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963,” it said.

It said India has consistently conveyed its concerns to both China and Pakistan on the projects in so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which is in the territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947.

Referring to the boundary question, the MEA said India and China have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually accepted solution to the issue through peaceful consultations on the basis of the political parameters and guiding principles that were agreed in 2005.

“This was reiterated also in the 2nd India-China Informal Summit between Prime Minister and President Xi in Chennai earlier this month. In the interim, the two sides have also agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border area,” it said. — PTI