India calls OIC's 'Muslim genocide' remark nefarious propaganda
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New Delhi: India has lodged strong condemnations of a remark made about the state of the Muslim community in India, after a group of largely Islamic nations alleged that India was propagating calls to massacre Muslims.
The Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had released a statement which touched on the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka as well as the hate speeches made in Haridwar and Delhi last year. It specified a "continued attacks targeting Muslims and their places of worship" as well as a "recent trend of anti-Muslim legislations in different states and rising incidents of violence against Muslims on flimsy pretexts" by 'Hindutva' groups.
It urged the Indian government to take not of such hate speech and attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi released the statement from the Indian government which hit out at the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation's comments, stating that the OIC had made "misleading" statements on an internal issue which would be dealt with by India's democratic system and constitutional framework and ethos.
"The communal mindset of the OIC Secretariat does not allow for a proper appreciation of these realities. OIC continues to be hijacked by vested interests to further their nefarious propaganda against India," the Ministry of External Affairs, or MEA, said in the statement, referring to the Jeddah-headquartered organisation that has 57 member states, including Pakistan.
"As a result, it has only harmed its own reputation," India said. India pointed out that this was not the first time the OIC has given a "motivated and misleading statement... on matters pertaining to India."
In tweets by the OIC Secretariat, the Islamic nations grouping had also mentioned about the hijab row in Karnataka, which is being heard in court, and asked the United Nations to look into alleged human rights violation in India linked to Muslims.
In December last year, hate speeches at a religious conclave in Haridwar sparked outrage and condemnation over open calls for genocide and use of weapons against Muslims. A police case has been filed and investigation is on.