Clear attempt at pandering to vote-bank interests: India condemns Labour Party motion on Kashmir

India on Wednesday strongly condemned the motion on Kashmir passed by the UK's opposition Labour Party, saying it was a clear attempt at pandering to vote-bank interests and regretted the uninformed and unfounded positions taken by the British political outfit.

"Government has noted certain developments at the Labour Party Conference on 25 September pertaining to the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. We regret the uninformed and unfounded positions taken at this event," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement.

"Clearly, this is an attempt at pandering to vote-bank interests. There is no question of engaging with the Labour Party or its representatives on this issue," he added.

An emergency motion was recently passed by the Labour Party on Kashmir at their annual party conference in Brighton.

On August 5, the Indian government passed a resolution abrogating Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and a bill bifurcating the region into two separate Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

India has repeatedly maintained that constitutional changes made by its government on Kashmir are strictly an internal matter, a stance supported by several countries, including those from SAARC and Arab World.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has "condemned" the move and downgraded its bilateral ties with India. Islamabad has since resorted to anti-India rhetoric and has attempted to internationalise the Kashmir issue, but to no avail.