NEW DELHI: A purported claim in an Iranian readout about NSA Ajit Doval “assuring of action against those who made insulting remarks on Prophet” has been pulled down, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. The said claim was about Doval meeting visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Wednesday.
“My understanding is that what you are referring to in a readout has been pulled down,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in response to a question on the issue. Bagchi, however, did not offer any reasons for the Iranian action. He also said there had been no talk about the controversy during the meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart.
The Iranian action has triggered speculation that New Delhi could have been upset or uncomfortable over discussions at a closed meeting, including the purported response of the Indian NSA being made public by the Iranian side so explicitly after the Iranian foreign minister had raised the issue at the meeting. The controversy had created a furore in the Islamic world this week, with several nations including Iran summoning Indian ambassadors and taking up the matter with New Delhi.
To reassure the world of Indian government’s stance on the controversy, the MEA reiterated that the remarks made on television don’t reflect the views of the government. “We have made it pretty clear that tweets and comments do not reflect views of the government,” Bagchi said. Meanwhile, in an interaction with Islamic scholars in Delhi, Abdollahiahn said that Indian Muslims have contributed to strengthening peace in the country. “Leaders of India’s Muslim community are a good example for strengthening of peace, empathy and respectful coexistence of ethnicities and faiths,’’ Amir-Abdollahian added.
Pakistan outfits plan marches across cities today
Various groups in Pakistan have threatened to march across cities on Friday to condemn the remark on Prophet made by Nupur Sharma. These protests are being planned in Hyderabad, Karachi, Lahore, and other places. Organisers include parties like Jamaat-e-Islami and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan as well as the Pakistan Ulema Council.