Govt protests Iran’s remarks on Delhi riots

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 3

India and Iran entered into a spat after Tehran twice commented on the Delhi riots yesterday. Indian summoned Iranian Ambassador Ali Chegeni and lodged a protest against

the remarks made by the Iranian Foreign Minister.

Iran is the latest among several Muslim majority countries that have been critical of New Delhi’s handling of socio-political issues with implications for the minorities. The Delhi riots and the Indian position on Kashmir or CAA have been assailed by Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia, besides the Organisation of Islamic Countries.

“It was conveyed that his selective and tendentious characterisation of recent events in Delhi is not acceptable. We do not expect such comments from a country like Iran,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

The verbal exchange came while both sides are attempting to negotiate a solution to transferring their citizens who have been stranded after the cancellation of flights between Iran and India.

It all started when Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted to condemn the “wave of organised violence” against Indian Muslims.

The idea behind Zarif’s tweet might be to catch New Delhi’s eye because a little while earlier the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi’s comments on the Delhi violence had gone unnoticed. He had said he felt “very sorry and deeply saddened for the incidents that have happened”.