NEW DELHI: India condemned Pakistan for its repeated attempts to "derail" United Nations discussions by invoking Jammu and Kashmir during a debate on peacekeeping operations. Representing India at the UN’s special political and decolonization (fourth) committee on Friday, Sudhanshu Trivedi , a member of the Rajya Sabha and BJP’s national spokesperson, accused Pakistan of spreading "rhetoric and falsehood" to mislead the forum. "India chooses its right to reply in response to the comments made by Pakistan that has yet again made an attempt to divert this august body from its agenda," Trivedi said.
He reiterated India’s firm position on Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out that the Union Territory "was, is and will remain an integral part of India," adding that recent democratic elections in the region underscore its rightful place within India. Trivedi urged Pakistan to "desist from such rhetoric" that, he stressed, would "not alter the facts." "The people of Jammu and Kashmir have recently exercised their democratic and electoral rights and elected a new government.
Pakistan must desist from such rhetoric and falsehood because it will not alter the facts," Trivedi said. India’s retort followed remarks by the Pakistani representative, who referenced the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), originally set up to monitor ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). India contends that UNMOGIP is now obsolete, as the Simla Agreement a.