India upset by Kashmir depiction on Saudi Riyal note
October 30, 2020 12:49 PM
India has conveyed its “serious concern” to Saudi Arabia over the incorrect depiction of the country’s borders on a new Saudi currency note, which shows almost the whole of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir as a separate entity.
The twenty-riyal banknote was issued by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority on October 24 to commemorate the country’s presidency of the G20 ahead of the grouping’s virtual summit during November 21-22.
“We have seen the banknote which gives an incorrect depiction of India’s external territorial boundaries,” Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told a weekly news briefing.
“We have conveyed our serious concern to Saudi Arabia, both through their ambassador in New Delhi as well as in Riyadh, for this gross misrepresentation of India’s external territorial boundaries on an official and legal banknote of Saudi Arabia and asked the Saudi side to take urgent corrective steps in this regard,” he said.
Srivastava reiterated that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which were created after the special status of the region was scrapped by the government in August last year, are “integral parts of India”.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the Indian side is yet to hear from Saudi authorities on how they intend to handle the issue. New Delhi is keen that Riyadh should take some action in the matter before the holding of the G20 Summit, the people said.