India reacts on Prophet Muhammad remarks of ruling party spokesperson

With Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issuing statements in response to remarks made by now expelled BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, India rejected the OIC's comments as "unwarranted and narrow-minded," and said Pakistan's criticism was ironic, given its own record with minorities.

Pakistan, along with three other Muslim countries, summoned India's envoy to express their displeasure. Bahrain, like the rest of the world, has reacted to the incident, but has praised the BJP's actions against its two leaders.

MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi strongly objected to the OIC's critical remarks, saying India has "highest respect" for all religions and that the grouping's statement was "motivated, false, and mischievous," exposing its "divisive goal" pursued at the behest of "vested interests."

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"The Government of India categorically rejects OIC Secretariat's unwarranted and narrow-minded comments. The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions," Bagchi said.

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"The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India," he said.

Referring to Sharif's condemnation of the remarks by Sharma and Jindal, and the Pakistan Foreign Ministry's criticism, Bagchi said the "absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone."

Bagchi said the government "accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour".

In its statement, Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the decision of the BJP to suspend the party's spokeswoman and stressed the need to "denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, as a provocation to Muslims' feelings and incitement to religious hatred."

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