President urges India to shun Hindutva policies

ISLAMABAD - President Dr Arif Alvi Saturday strongly condemned the brutal use of force on Muslim protestors in cities across India, resulting in the death of two innocent protestors. The Indian police are arrested hundreds of protesters during the crackdown.

The president called ‘unjust and highly condemnable’ use of force against protestors who were demanding the arrest and exclusion from party of two members of the BJP for using highly derogatory remarks and disrespecting the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

The president said that violence against Muslims on flimsy pretexts by various ‘Hindutva’ groups with complete impunity, and often under state patronage, highlights the worsening trend of Islamophobia and extremism in India.

The president called upon India to shun its Hindutva policies and stop targeting its minorities, hurting their religious sentiments and put an end to rising incidents of violence and spreading of hate against Indian minorities, especially Muslims.

India must also take immediate steps to protect its minorities from human rights violations, ensure their safety, security and well-being and allow them to profess and practice their faiths in peace, he added. He also called upon the international community to take immediate cognizance of the grievously aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India.

Pakistan denounces ‘shameful treatment’ of Muslims by India

Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned the heavy-handed treatment by the Indian authorities of Muslim who were registering a peaceful protest after Friday prayers over the derogatory remarks of the two members of the ruling political party BJP against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar in a statement said the indiscriminate and widespread use of brute force by the Indian authorities across various states in India resulted in killing of two innocent Muslim protesters and critically injured thirteen others in Ranchi city.

The spokesman said the footage of Indian forces unabashedly opening fire on unarmed protesters in Ranchi city is horrific beyond belief.

In Uttar Pradesh alone a total of 227 people have been arrested so far.

"This is a new low in the Indian government’s repressive ‘Hindutva’ inspired majoritarian policy aimed at demonizing and persecuting minorities, especially Muslims", the spokesman said.

 

"Pakistan denounces this shameful treatment of Indian Muslim citizens by the Indian government and expresses its solidarity with the Muslims of India in these testing times", Asim Iftikhar said.

 

He said It is alarming that despite the global condemnation of the BJP officials’ sacrilegious remarks, the Indian government’s reaction has been muted while on the other hand the BJP-RSS regime has persisted in its Islamophobic actions and has shamefully chosen to handle public protest with brutal and indiscriminate use of force.

 

He said the Indian government’s apathy to the grievous situation and the vicious cycle of communal violence may lead to further marginalization of the Indian Muslims.

 

He said Pakistan once again strongly urges India to ensure that demonstrable action is taken against those responsible for making derogatory remarks and attacking the dignity of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the international community must also take immediate cognizance of the grievously aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India. India must be held accountable for stifling the rights of the minorities, especially Muslims, and ensure that Muslims living in India are not victimized for practicing their faith and religious beliefs

 

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