India slams Muslim nations for statement criticising Supreme Court’s Article 370 verdict

India’s Ministry of External Affairs, in strongly worded remarks, slammed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an international grouping of Muslim nations, for criticising the Supreme Court’s recent verdict upholding the Central government’s decision to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in an oblique reference to Pakistan, said the grouping released the statement at the behest of an “unrepentant promoter of cross-border terrorism”, undermining its own credibility.

He also called the statement released on Tuesday “ill informed and ill intended”.

“India rejects the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on a judgement of the Indian Supreme Court. It is both ill informed and ill intended,” he said.

“That OIC does so at the behest of a serial violator of human rights and an unrepentant promoter of cross border terrorism makes its action even more questionable. Such statements only undermine OIC’s credibility.,” he added.

On Tuesday, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed “concern” over the verdict. It called the reversal of Article 370 “illegal and unilateral” and demanded its recall.

“The General Secretariat reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for the right of self-determination and reiterates its call on the international community to enhance its efforts to resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,” OIC said in the statement.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which has 57 member states across four continents, describes itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world.

In 2019, the BJP-led Central government revoked Article 370, which use to give Jammu and Kashmir a special status. It also revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and divided it into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said the President of India had the right to revoke Article 370 at the insistence of the Centre without seeking permission from the erstwhile state’s assembly. The court also ordered the Election Commission to hold assembly polls in the union territory before September 2024.