Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summon Indian envoys over controversial remarks of BJP leader against Prophet
Doha/Tehran, Jun 5: Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet Mohammed.
Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said that the Ambassadors "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements."
The spokesperson said that Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is currently visiting Qatar and on Sunday he met Qatar's Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani here.
Earlier, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, handed the note to the Ambassador of the Republic of India, the ministry said in a statement.
It welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party's leader and said Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India.
"Strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks, the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy here said.
"In line with our civilisational heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity, Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions, the official added.
Noting that vested interests that are against India-Qatar relations have been inciting the people using these derogatory comments, the embassy spokesperson said that the two sides should work together against such mischievous elements who aim to undercut the strength of their bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, the Kuwait Foreign Ministry said that the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George was on Sunday summoned and handed over an official protest note by the Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Affairs expressing Kuwait's "categorical rejection and condemnation" of the statements issued by an official of the ruling party against the Prophet.
The ministry welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India, in which it announced the suspension of the leader.
In Tehran, Indian Ambassador to Iran Dhamu Gaddam was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director General of South Asia on Sunday evening where a strong protest was registered by the Islamic Republic of Iran over the controversial remarks by the ruling party leader on against the Prophet, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
The Indian ambassador expressed regret and called any insult to the Prophet of Islam unacceptable, it added.
The development comes ahead of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's planned maiden visit to India since taking charge last year.
In New Delhi, the BJP suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet, as it sought to defuse a row over the issue.
Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.
The controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.
Qatar Foreign Ministry in its statement said that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment, constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.
The note indicated that more than two billion Muslims across the world follow the guidance of Prophet Mohammed, whose message came as a message of peace, understanding and tolerance, and a beacon of light that Muslims all over the world follow.
Qatar reaffirmed its full support for the values of tolerance, coexistence and respect for all religions and nationalities, where such values distinguish Qatar's global friendships and its relentless work to contribute to the establishment of international peace and security, the statement added.
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TN assembly polls: Battle lines drawn, AIADMK switches to campaign mode
Chennai (PTI): With a month to go for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the battle lines are clearly drawn and the AIADMK camp is making apparent efforts to get a headstart ahead of the ruling DMK bloc by quickly finalising the seat-sharing deal, identifying constituencies for itself and allies and switching on to the campaign mode.
The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK, which leads the NDA in Tamil Nadu will take on the DMK in certain urban centres considered to be the ruling party's stronghold.
The assembly polls will be held on April 23 and counting of votes taken up on May 4.
Determined to win over 210 out of the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, the AIADMK has announced that it would contest from 169 seats, leaving the rest to allies, while the DMK has readied its poll battle machinery in as many as 175 constituencies. For its part, the Stalin-led party has set a target to secure over 200 seats.
DMK has announced that 'Rising Sun' will be in fray from 175 Assembly segments, indicating it would include smaller allies that would face the polls under the ruling party's poll symbol.
The AIADMK would take on the DMK in about 13 out of the 16 constituencies in Chennai, which has been electing Chief Minister M K Stalin, his son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi, Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu, to name the very prominent persons in the DMK.
The AIADMK has allotted three seats to its allies while retaining 13 in the city. It has also announced its first list of candidates, with Palaniswami testing his electoral fortunes once again from Edappadi in Salem district, while a number of former ministers and sitting and ex-MLAs are also in fray.
While Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi is in the fray in all the constituencies, actor-politician Vijay is gearing up to announce his TVK party candidates for 234 seats in the high-stakes poll battle.
Vijay, a top cinema star with a huge fan following, is likely to hit the campaign trail this week. Only these two leaders with a film background would take on the Dravidian majors that are backed with numerous political parties, respectively, in the election.
The AIADMK-led NDA has the BJP, which will contest from 27 seats. PMK will fight from 18 seats, AMMK from 11, TMC (M) from five (on BJP's Lotus symbol). Besides, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi will filed candidates from two seats, while Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and Puratchi Bharatham, have been allotted one seat each. In all, AIADMK has apportioned 65 seats to its allies.
The Dravidian party has retained a lion's share of seats, accounting for 169.
Palaniswami finalised the seat-sharing pact with seven political parties in two days, starting from March 23. On March 25, he announced the constituencies from where the constituents would contest and launched the campaign for the NDA from Mylapore in Chennai, where the BJP is contesting.
In the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the Congress will enter the poll fray from 28 seats, DMDK: 10, VCK: 8, left parties: 5 each, and MDMK: 4, one seat each to SDPI, Mukkulathor Puli Padai Katchi (both parties contesting in Rising Sun symbol) and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi. The party has allotted 2 seats each to IUML, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).
KMDK and MMK are set to contest polls under the DMK's symbol. The MDMK will contest in the 'Rising Sun' symbol in 3 out of the 4 seats it has been given by the DMK.
The campaign is likely to intensify from next week, when the filing of nomination papers will formally commence from March 30.
