Chinese side has no locus standi on this matter: MEA on China's comment on Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi: India on Wednesday (August 5) strongly rejected Chinese comments on Jammu and Kashmir, advising China not to comment on "internal matters".  In response to a media query on Chinese MFA spokesperson’s comment on Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, official spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava said.

"We have noted the comments of the Chinese MFA spokesperson on the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir." "The Chinese side has no locus standi whatsoever on this matter and is advised not to comment on the internal affairs of other nations," Srivastava added.

India's reaction came hours after a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Beijing said that any unilateral change to status quo of Jammu and Kashmir is illegal and invalid.

The Chinese spokesperson made the comments following a question by a Pakistani correspondent on the completion of one year of the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two union territories--Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

On Tuesday, the MEA also hit out at Pakistan's new ‘political map’. The MEA said, "We have seen a so-called "political map” of Pakistan that has been released by Prime Minister Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian State of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility." 

"In fact, this new effort only confirms reality of Pakistan’s obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," it added.