New Delhi: The controversial tweets and comments about Prophet Mohammad do not reflect the opinion of the government of India, External Affairs Ministry asserted today, seeking to douse the anger in the Islamic countries.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also stated that the controversial issue did not figure in the talks between visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here yesterday.
“Let me emphasise. We have made it pretty clear (that) the tweets and comments do not reflect the opinion of the Government of India,” he said at a weekly media briefing here.
He was responding to a question about the protests by some Islamic nations over the controversial comments regarding Prophet Mohammad made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who has since been suspended by the party.
Some of the countries, including Qatar, even summoned Indian Ambassador to lodge a protest over the comments.
Qatar also wanted an apology by the government of India over the comments.
“The Indian Embassy in Qatar has made clear our position. I don’t want to add further,” Bagchi said when asked about Qatar’s protest.
“We put out our perspective…. We have made clear that these views are not that of the Government of India and action has been taken against those persons,” the MEA spokesperson said on the demand for apology.
The Indian Embassy in Qatar, after the summoning of the Ambassador, had said the comments on Prophet Mohammad had been made by “fringe elements”.
Iran was also among the Islamic nations which had protested over the comments.
Asked whether the Iranian Foreign Minister raised the issue during his talks with Jaishankar, the MEA spokesperson replied in the negative.
Bagchi’s attention was drawn to a release issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry saying that NSA Ajit Doval gave assurance to Iranian FM that those involved will be punished, and “it would be seen as a lesson to others”.
Responding to this, the MEA spokesperson said, “I don’t want to comment. The Iran foreign ministry release has been pulled down.”
