Saudi Arabia has condemned the insults to Prophet Muhammad made by a representative for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Sunday condemning and denouncing the BJP spokesperson’s words, calling them “offensive to the Prophet”.
The government emphasised its unequivocal rejection of any insult to the Islamic religion’s symbols. It also disapproved of anything that is offensive to religious people or symbols in general.
The ministry restated the Kingdom’s policy of showing respect to all religions and faiths, while applauding the BJP’s decision to suspend the spokeswoman.
Qatar and Kuwait have summoned India’s envoys and sent them protest papers in response to two BJP leaders’ inflammatory remarks against the Prophet.
In an attempt to alleviate the situation, India stated that the remarks were made by “fringe individuals” and did not reflect the views of the government. The ruling BJP has also taken action against the leaders, according to the report.
In the wake of a series of communal incidents across the country, BJP national spokesman Nupur Sharma allegedly insulted the Prophet during a TV debate last week. Naveen Jindal, the BJP’s Delhi media chief, sent out a tweet regarding the Prophet that he later removed. Nupur Sharma has been suspended from the BJP’s primary membership, while Naveen Jindal has been expelled.
Muslim organisations in India slammed their remarks, which sparked rioting in the BJP-ruled state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. After Friday prayers, two groups battled in Kanpur, injuring forty persons.
Outrage over the comments has rippled throughout the Arab world, with a popular Twitter hashtag calling for a boycott of Indian goods in various nations.
“Systematic hate speech against Islam in India… will be regarded an insult by 2 billion Muslims,” a Qatari minister stated. Qatar’s denunciation came during India’s Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to Doha on Sunday, where he met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Deepak Mittal, India’s ambassador to Qatar, said the remarks “do not, in any way, reflect the views of the Indian government.” “These are the views of fringe elements,” an embassy spokeswoman stated. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Mittal, saying it was “expecting a public apology and prompt denunciation of these remarks from the Indian government.”
“Allowing such Islamophobic remarks to go unpunished poses a major threat to human rights protection and may lead to greater discrimination and marginalisation, resulting in a cycle of violence and hatred,” Qatar added.
“The government of India accords the highest respect to all religions, in keeping with our civilizational legacy and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity.” The embassy official paraphrased Mittal as adding, “Strong action has already been taken against individuals who made insulting remarks.”
Kuwait, meanwhile, demanded a “public apology for these unfriendly words, which would represent a deterrent measure or penalty to strengthen extremism and intolerance and undermine the principles of moderation if they were to continue.”
In a statement, the Indian embassy in Kuwait stated the ambassador met with the foreign office and “concerns were addressed with regard to some inappropriate tweets by persons in India.”
“The tweets do not, in any way, reflect the views of the Indian government,” the ambassador said. The viewpoints of fringe elements are as follows…. Those who made the offensive statements have already faced severe consequences.”
Iran’s television station Iran International English claimed that the Indian ambassador to Tehran had been summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a “insult against the Prophet of Islam in an Indian TV debate,” according to official media.
The Indian envoy to Tehran stated the offender had no position in the government and had even been expelled from his party after making the disrespectful remarks after hearing the “Iranian nation and administration’s complaint over the insulting remarks.”
