Highly hypocritical of India to comment on minority rights elsewhere: Foreign Office
"A mature state would have appreciated the immediate arrest of the [suspect]," it says, on the Ranjit Singh statue case
August 18, 2021
- A mature state would have appreciated the immediate arrest of the accused: Foreign Office.
- Says that Pakistan has always worked to ensure constitutional protections of minorities.
- Urges India to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of Muslims and other minorities.
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Wednesday rejected the "gratuitous remarks" by the Indian External Affairs Ministry regarding the vandalism of Ranjit Singh's statue, terming India “highly hypocritical” as it itself is a purveyor of state-sponsored discrimination.
“It is highly hypocritical of a country that is a purveyor of state-sponsored discrimination against its minorities to pontificate on the issue of minority rights elsewhere,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
The statement said: “A mature state would have appreciated the immediate arrest of the [suspect] against whom strict legal action has already been initiated.”
It said the government, legislature, judiciary, civil society, and the media in Pakistan have always worked for ensuring constitutional protections for members of minorities as equal citizens and their places of worship, whereas in India, incidents against minorities were taking place with state complicity.
“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, India should seriously introspect, move away from entrenched anti-minority mindset being destructively spawned by the RSS-BJP regime, and discard state-sponsored discriminatory policies,” it said.
The FO urged upon India to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of minorities including Muslims, and take effective steps for the protection of their places of worship, culture, and heritage sites.
Ranjit Singh's statue vandalised at Lahore Fort
A video of a man destroying the statue of 18th-century Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh with his bare hands at the Lahore Fort went viral earlier on Tuesday.
The video showing a young man destroying the statue was reportedly the third time the statue has been vandalised since 2019.
The suspect has been taken into custody by the Lahore police, Geo News reported Tuesday.
