Tehran: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday asked the Indian government to confront what he called “extremist Hindus and their parties”, saying the hearts of Muslims all over the world are “grieving” over the recent communal violence in Delhi.
His remarks comes two days after India summoned Iran’s Ambassador Ali Chegeni in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over the “unwarranted” comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif over communal violence in the national capital.
“The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam,” Khamenei tweeted.
Khamenei, who controls all major security and foreign policy decisions, tweeted in English, Urdu, Persian and Arabic along with a photograph of a child grieving over the body of a man who was killed in the recent violence in Delhi.
In a tweet on Monday, Zarif said Iran condemned the “wave of organised violence against Indian Muslims” and urged Indian authorities to “not let senseless thuggery” prevail.
Next day, India summoned Iranian Ambassador Chegeni and conveyed to him that Zarif’s “selective and tendentious” characterisation of incidents in Delhi are not acceptable.
The ties between India and Iran have been on an upswing over the last few years.
Notwithstanding US sanctions against Iran, India has been maintaining cordial relationship with Tehran and have been actively involved in development of the strategically located Chabahar port in the Gulf nation.
Zarif visited India in January in the midst of Tehran’s escalating tension with the Trump administration over the killing of top Iranian General Qassem Sulemani in a US military strike in Iraq.
The national capital witnessed horrific violence last week following clashes between supporters and those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act. According to authorities, at least 42 people were killed in the violence.
Massive protests took place across India in the last two months over the new law with the opposition parties and rights groups terming it as violative of founding principles of Indian Constitution.
According to the law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution will be given Indian citizenship.
Also read: Hardliners loyal to Khamenei set to come to power in Iran
It is totally injustice in interfering in Indian internal matter, can’t India survey what is it’s population, can any nation/country in the world simply allow other national person,… on this earth India is the only country respects all religions though minorities and provides rights equally,
Sir please don’t comment on religion wise for your supremecy on your religion.
If you’re real love & affections on Muslims please have talks with Indian government and make some suggestions for the Development of Muslims along with India.
What is my concern here is that no one should inter into others life/domain directly for their names shake and spoil the prevailing atmosphere.
If you have real concern, Love, affections etc on Muslims then there are lots of Muslims in refugee camps in all over world even in India please take them to your country and create healthy atmosphere for their livelihood, provide good education, offer employment then all the people across the world irrespective of religions not only Muslims praise you like anything and else treat you as their GOD.
Sir please Do this get Name and Fame on Top of all religions moreover you have the chance to do this as you have the power of king and your country has surplus money.
Moreover lots of Muslims are struggling for education,
You people Iran & Iraq simply fought for nothing for decades simply because to satisfy your ego’s [king’s]
Where are the minorities in Iran? If you sincerely represent a peaceful religion, allow the minorities the freedom they deserve in your own backyard sir.
We must all support each other in India, and address what is happening regardless of what your ideology speaks cuz dan u choose the truth selectively. Ayatollah Khamenei, just look him up for gross human rights violations and the source of hatred and torture that comes in that part of the world is not all foreign intervention but from the very idea of a theocratic nation. We are ethnically one in India and have more similarities culturally n the Mob violence here is as bad as Gangs of Newyorks compared to Khamenei’s Godzilla
As a democratic nation india must protect minorities, it is a duty of hindu majority to confront extremists. This will make india peaceful and in future great nation. Uncontroled extemisim is a path to destruction of any society.
I fully agree with Ayatollah Khamenei on this. The recent Delhi killings were not a “communal riot” – – it wasn’t as if some hot-heads got angry and started killing one another, and they happened to belong to two different communities, so their fight can be called a communal riot. Nothing of that sort. This was a meticulously planned operation by the Hindutva chaps with full support from Hindutva powercentre which also ordered the police to lend a “helping hand”. Large supplies of stones for pelting, firearms, petrol etc, large numbers of hooligans, in 500 to 1000 in each attack, with helmets, were pressed into service. If all this was not fully planned and provided for massacre, THEN HOW DID IT GET OVER IN THREE DAYS, WITH MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?
Iran should first remove the word “Islamic” in its name, treat all minorities as equal and take back the Parsi refugees from the original land Persia before lecturing India.
EAM does not seem to be on top of things.