India on Thursday criticized the United States over the American ambassador to Pakistan's recent tour of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Last month, pictures of US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, interacting with locals in Gilgit-Baltistan of PoK raised eyebrows in New Delhi as India considers the region as part of its territory.
Though the area is currently occupied by Pakistan, as per an accord signed by the then-ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, he ceded control of the region to India.
However, Pakistani intruders took control of a part of Kashmir after entering from the Western side of the erstwhile kingdom which later became the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
New Delhi Raises 'PoK' Concerns With Washington
Against this backdrop, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that New Delhi has taken up the matter with Washington.
"We have raised our concerns about that visit by the US Ambassador of Pakistan with the US side and with regards to Garcetti's comment, we don't think the two situations are equivalent," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a press conference in New Delhi.
"Our position on the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India is well known. We would like to urge the international community to respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.
Undercurrents in India-US Relations
Relations between India and the US are going through a rough patch at present with Washington siding with Ottawa after Canada accused the "agents of the Indian government" of having a role in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Subsequently, their ties took another hit after reports emerged that the US spied on Indian diplomats in Canada, and provided intelligence inputs to Ottawa over Nijjar's elimination.
The frostiness has also become evident on the issue of Kashmir as the US is seemingly helping Pakistan, India's arch-rival, with military equipment, which New Delhi believes could be used against its interests in the region.