Remarks don’t replicate views of presidency: MEA on controversial feedback on Prophet

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Iranian international ministry has faraway from an official readout some parts referring to Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s dialog with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the difficulty of controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

The visiting Iranian international minister and the NSA held talks on Wednesday overlaying a variety of points together with commerce, connectivity, counter-terror cooperation and the state of affairs in Afghanistan.

The Iranian readout on Abdollahian’s talks with Doval stated the international minister raised the difficulty of the controversy triggered by the feedback on Prophet Mohammad and that he was happy by the NSA’s response.

Asked at a media briefing in regards to the readout together with feedback attributed to Doval that wrongdoers will likely be handled in a means that could be a lesson for others, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated he wouldn’t prefer to touch upon the dialog between Doval and Abdollahian.

At the identical time, he stated: “My understanding is that what you are referring to in a readout has been pulled down. Even if it is I do not want to get into what was said or not.” The revised readout on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s web site solely carries a quick paragraph on the difficulty as in opposition to lengthy references to it within the earlier assertion.

It stated the NSA reiterated the respect of the Indian authorities and officers for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and that the matter will likely be “treated as a lesson for others.” The earlier assertion had elaborate particulars on the difficulty.

“Pleased to meet PM Modi, FM Jaishankar & other Indian officials to advance our bilateral strategic dialogue. Tehran & New Delhi agree on the need to respect divine religions & Islamic sanctities & to avoid divisive statements,” Abdollahian tweeted on Wednesday.

Asked whether or not the Iranian international minister raised the difficulty of controversial remarks on the Prophet in his talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Bagchi urged that it was not introduced up. “My understanding was that this issue was not raised during that conversation,” he stated.

On the sturdy response to the feedback by the Arab world, Bagchi stated the federal government has made it clear that the remarks don’t replicate the views of the federal government. “We have made it pretty clear that tweets and comments do not reflect views of government,” Bagchi stated at a media briefing.

“This has been conveyed to our interlocutors as also the fact that action has been taken by the concerned quarters against those who made the comments and tweets. I really do not think I have anything additional to say on this,” he stated.

The BJP on Sunday suspended its nationwide spokesperson Nupur Sharma and the celebration’s Delhi unit media head Naveen Jindal for allegedly making derogatory feedback.

Abdollahian’s go to to India got here days after Iran joined Kuwait and Qatar in summoning the Indian ambassadors over the remarks by Sharma and Jindal.

Since then, a number of international locations together with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Bahrain, Maldives, Malaysia, Oman, Iraq and Libya denounced the feedback.

Asked about stories that India has requested its ambassadors to achieve out to authorities of their respective international locations of postings to apprise them on the difficulty, Bagchi stated the envoys recurrently temporary their interlocutors on points and considerations of the day. “They are also in regular touch with the headquarters,” he stated.

Asked whether or not Jaishankar and Abdollahian mentioned the difficulty of crude oil, Bagchi didn’t give a direct reply. He, nevertheless, referred to Jaishankar’s public remarks earlier the place he highlighted the absence of oil from Iran and Venezuela and stated it has made it harder for India to fulfill its vitality safety wants.

The disaster in Ukraine and the state of affairs in Afghanistan had been among the many key points that figured within the talks Abdollahian had with Jaishankar.