India objects to OIC's reference to Kashmir

India on Wednesday took strong objection to a letter from Organisation of Islamic Conference which referred to Jammu and Kashmir as an "occupied" state, saying it rejects any such reference with regard to the state.

"We have seen reports that the Organisation of Islamic Conference has again chosen to refer to Jammu & Kashmir incorrectly, in an invitation to an Indian invitee to an OIC meeting. This is most regrettable," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

"The state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. We totally reject any reference or description to the contrary," he said in Delhi.

The OIC stirred a diplomatic row with India by referring to the north Indian state as "Indian-occupied Kashmir" in the organisation's invitation to chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The invitation was for the 38th meeting of foreign ministers of the grouping to be held in Kazakhstan from June 28 to 30. Reacting to it, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Centre will raise the issue at the appropriate level.

"If OIC has done it, the Government of India will take it up," he told reporters in Srinagar. Omar, however, said, "We should not be sentimental about these issues as OIC had its own compulsions."

He said the OIC should refer the territory under Pakistani control as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also, if it chooses to refer to this side as Indian-occupied Kashmir.