- India
- International
As the Narendra Modi government toughened its stand towards the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), asking it to vacate the government bungalow housing its office in Delhi, the Congress on Saturday backed the government move, saying the UN body has become “irrelevant” after the Simla accord.
Without referring to the government decision to ask UNMOGIP to vacate the bungalow, the Congress said, “India has taken a considered view that UNMOGIP no longer has a purpose to serve and has therefore become redundant”. It pointed out that India’s permanent representative in the UN should “appropriately inform the Secretary General’s office of India’s decision”.
“The mandate of the UNMOGIP lapsed with the signing of the Simla agreement of 1972 when the two countries, India and Pakistan, agreed to settle all differences bilaterally by peaceful dialogue. However, since the UN had continued to post personnel as a cooperative member of the UN India continued with its courtesies provided.”
“After the Simla accord of 1972, it became irrelevant. This is borne out of the fact that after 1972 India never filed any complaints of any ceasefire violations on the LoC to UNMOGIP,” the Congress said in a statement.
The Modi government has already conveyed to the UN that the UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC.