New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reacted strongly to Pakistan’s statement on the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple flag-hoisting.
Lashing out at Pakistan for its long record of bigotry and repression of minorities, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said that the country has no moral standing to lecture others.
“Pakistan should focus on its own abysmal human rights records, rather than delivering hypocritical homilies,” Jaiswal said.
“We have seen the reported remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve. As a country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression and systemic mistreatment of its minorities, Pakistan has no moral standing to lecture others,” he said during the weekly briefing.
The MEA reaction came after Pakistan protested the recent flag-hoisting at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, saying the move was allegedly part of the growing pressure on religious minorities and an attempt to erase Muslim heritage.
The special saffron flag was hoisted on the “shikhar” of the Temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. This “Dhwajarohan Utsav” symbolised the completion of the temple’s construction.
Modi has called it an extremely moving experience and said that the aspirations of generations of Hindus had finally been realised through the event.
PM Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Modi had said that the flag will inspire us to keep our word, even if it costs us our life. “Pran jaaye par vachan na jaaye, jo kaha jaaye wohi kia jaaye.”
Many countries like Israel congratulated Modi after the event. No country, apart from Pakistan, has made an adverse comment on what is part of India’s internal affairs.
