India summons Iranian Envoy over Kashmir remarks of Ayatollah Khamenei

NEW DELHI - Upset over the comments made by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Kashmir, India on Friday summoned Iranian Charge de Affairs and issued a strong demarche.

Expressing disappointment over the over the statement made by supreme leader Khamenei on Kashmir in which he clubbed Kashmir with Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq, Ministry of External Affairs said: ” India view the statement as unpalatable, which impinges its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

India has conveyed its deep disappointment to Tehran and New Delhi expects that Iran position on Kashmir doesn’t change.

Iran has reportedly told India that there is no change in the official position of Iran on Kashmir.

As a result of the row, India also abstained from voting on United Nation resolution on human rights situation in Iran piloted by Canada.

India has been voting against the resolution since 2003 and has been taking a strong position against any kind of sanctions against Iran.

This is the first time India abstained on the resolution and the decision was taken after due deliberation in the light of statements emanating from Iran vis a vis Jammu and Kashmir according to sources.

India believes it is a measured response. The statement made by the supreme leader is at variance with the official position of Iran there is no justification of this statement source said.

India is deeply disappointed over consistent statements on Jammu and Kashmir emanating from Iranian leadership.

According to sources, since July 2010, Iran has on three occasions remarked supporting the ’struggle’ in Kashmir and bracketed the situation in the state with that in Gaza and Afghanistan.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman had earlier in October condemned Indian action against protesters in Jammu and Kashmir who were provoked by clippings of alleged desecration of the Koran in the US.

Spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast had said to counter such protests could be interpreted as supporting acts of sacrilege.

He later said it was ‘perfectly acceptable for Muslims to react to the desecration of the Koran’ and called upon the Indian government to show ’self-restraint’. (ANI)