New Delhi: India on Monday (June 6) reacted strongly to remarks from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and assertively dubbed Islamabad as “a serial violator of minority rights”.
“We have noted statements and comments from Pakistan. The absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in reply to media queries.
He said: “The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.”
He said, “The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour.”
The MEA spokesperson further stated, “We call on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.”
Pakistan said on Monday that it had summoned the Indian charge d’affaires in Islamabad to convey its condemnation of the controversial remarks by two BJP leaders.
The BJP has suspended one leader and expelled another for their controversial remarks.
The party general secretary Arun Singh said on Sunday that India’s Constitution gives the right to every citizen to practise any religion of his or her choice and to honour and respect every religion.
“As India celebrates 75th year of its Independence, we are committed to making India a great country where all are equal and everyone lives with dignity, where all are committed to India’s unity and integrity, where all enjoy the fruits of growth and development,” the BJP leader said.
