India to treat Pakistan’s reference to Kashmir at UNSC meeting “with contempt it deserves”

India rejects Pakistan's reference to Kashmir at UNSC, says it will treat it with contempt. U.S. Sec. of State Blinken affirms right of any nation to defend itself, condemns all acts of terrorism, calls on UNSC to denounce states that arm, fund, train terrorist groups.

India has said it will treat a reference by Pakistan to Kashmir during a Security Council meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation with the contempt it deserves and will not dignify it with a response.

The remarks by India’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador R. Ravindra, came on Tuesday after Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram made reference to Kashmir at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

“Before I end, there was a remark of habitual nature by one delegation referring to Union Territories that are integral and inalienable parts of my country,” Mr. Ravindra said.

“I would treat these remarks with contempt they deserve and not dignify them with a response in the interest of time,” Mr. Ravindra said.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Security Council meeting that all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they are carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based terror outfit, or by Hamas, targeting people in Mumbai or Kibbutz Beeri.

“We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people,” Mr. Blinken said.

“As this Council and the U.N. General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They're unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali… Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Be’eri,” Blinken told the UN Security Council.