India weathers diplomatic storm

New Delhi rejects OIC’s remarks as ‘narrow-minded’, says Islamabad ‘eulogise fanatics’

India on Monday faced more diplomatic heat with the strong reaction of Islamic countries to the controversial comments by two BJP functionaries against Prophet Mohammad even as it slammed the 57-nation OIC for its “motivated” and “mischievous” comments on the matter.

A day after Kuwait, Qatar and Iran summoned Indian ambassadors over the remarks by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, several Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Bahrain, Maldives and Oman also denounced the comments while some of them welcomed

BJP’s punitive action against the duo.

Even as it continued to assuage outrage in the Islamic world, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) categorically rejected criticism of India by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a strong reaction to the OIC’s sharp comments, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India accords the “highest respect” to all religions and described the statement by the grouping as “motivated, misleading and mischievous” and that it exposed its “divisive agenda” which is being pursued at the behest of “vested interests.”

“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.

“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.