"No need for 'selective outrage' from outsiders" India at UN amid Prophet row

UNITED NATIONS: India's top envoy at the United Nations has said that tolerance has always been promoted by the country and deals with any aberration within the legal framework. A dozen Muslim countries have condemned the controversial remarks made by two suspended BJP functionaries against the Prophet to which the envoy said that there is no need for "selective outrage" from outside the country.

Ambassador TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, on Friday addressed a high-level event on the occasion of the first anniversary of the International Day on Countering Hate Speech, entitled 'Role of education to address the root causes of hate speech and advance inclusion, non-discrimination, and peace'.

India's multicultural edifice has, over centuries, made it a safe haven for all those who seek refuge in India, whether the Jewish community or Zoroastrians or Tibetans or from our own neighbourhood," Tirumurti said.

"It is this underlying strength of our nation that has withstood radicalisation and terrorism over time," he said.

Tirumurti added that it was with this sense of history that India plays a vital role in combating terrorism and promoting tolerance and inclusion.

"Aberrations are dealt with within our legal framework and we do not need selective outrage from outsiders, especially when they are self-serving - even communal in nature, and pursuing a divisive agenda," he said.

The event was organised by the Permanent Mission of Morocco and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect.

The greatest defense against intolerance and hatred lies in the principles of democracy, in which there are the necessary checks and balances, to ensure that any deviation from the limits of the rule of law is resolved within its confines Tirumurti said.

"Further, a society based on pluralism, where every religion is respected, is a sine qua non of tolerance and harmony. India has embraced both these principles - democracy and pluralism.

And we call on all countries to adhere to these principles to ensure that intolerance is addressed within a Constitutional framework," he added.

More than a dozen countries have condemned the controversial remarks made by two now-suspended BJP functionaries against the Prophet including Iraq, Libya, Malaysia and Turkiye.

On June 5, the BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma was suspende3d by the party and Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal was expelled following their remarks against the Prophet.

The party gave out a statement amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks that was aimed at alleviating the concerns of minorities and alienating itself from these members, making it clear that it respects all religions and strongly condemns the insult to any religious personality.

The Ministry of External Affairs has said that India gives the highest respect to all religions.

The offensive tweets and comments were made by certain individuals insulting the religious personality.

They do not in any way reflect the views of the Government of India.

Relevant bodies have already taken strong action against these individuals, the MEA spokesman said last week.

Source- PTI