'Focus on your minorities' security': India slams Pakistan over controversial Prophet remark

“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,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Monday.

Anish Kumar

New Delhi, First Published Jun 6, 2022, 2:51 PM IST | Last Updated Jun 6, 2022, 2:54 PM IST

Hours after Pakistan summoned India’s chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affiars of India asked the Shehbaz Sharif government to limit themselves to their territory and stop fomenting communal disharmony in India.

“The absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone,” Bagchi added. He further said that the world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.

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Bagchi further reiterated that India accords the highest respect to all religions. “This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had condemned the remarks made by suspended BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Navin Jindal. “Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms and persecuting Muslims… World should take note and severely reprimand India,” he said in a tweet.

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The Pakistan foreign ministry office called the comments “totally unacceptable” and said it has “deeply hurt the sentiments” of Muslims across the world.

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