India slams UN observer's remarks on J&K

new delhi: india has taken exception to remarks by the head of the united nations military observers group here and will report the matter to the world body. major general hernann loidolt reportedly said at a press conference in srinagar on monday that kashmir was a "tormented country" and india and pakistan were playing "political games" over it. criticising his remarks as "unnwarranted and uncalled for," the ministry also implied that the united nations military observer group in india and pakistan (unmogip) had no role to play.its contribution "does not exist," the ministry spokeswoman said tuesday. for several years delhi has barely tolerated the presence of unmogip, which also maintains an office in pakistan. on paper at least, its mandate includes keeping an eye on the line of control between the two countries. every six months, the small unmogip staff shifts base between srinagar and rawalpindi. in a statement not too off the mark, the spokeswoman said after 1972 the unmogip has not been operational in kashmir valley. but talking to reporters, she would not go as far as suggesting that the unmogip should wind up its office in india. she indicated there would be a formal protest over the remarks. "we will take this up appropriately with the un," she said. loidolt's remarks were seen as too "political" in nature for a mission head who delhi thinks should only be seen, not heard. but loidolt, according to some reports, even mentioned the need for us involvement in the region. it is not clear whether he had meant to say un. in any case, delhi is against any third-party involvement in resolving the jammu and kashmir issue. the ministry repeated tuesday that it could only be solved through bilateral talks on the basis of the shimla agreement. "india has never been one to indulge in political games or diversionary tactics," the spokeswoman said.