Image Source: New Indian Express

Agencies:

New Delhi: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday advised nations, including those in India's neighbourhood, to refrain from commenting on its internal matters and asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir was taken in the larger interest to protect the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country.

He further said that India was a parliamentary democracy and the decision to abrogate Article 370 provisions, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was taken after a detailed discussion in Parliament and with the support of a majority of the members.

He made these remarks while delivering the first Sushma Swaraj Memorial Lecture, organised by Punjab University, according to an official statement.

His comments come close on the heels of China making a fresh attempt to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council.

The Ministry of External Affairs has said that New Delhi "firmly" rejects Beijing's "interference" in the country's internal affairs.

According to the statement, "Naidu wanted other nations to mind their own issues rather than interfering in the affairs of other countries."