New Delhi: India hit out Thursday at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the UK’s junior foreign minister Nigel Adams for their ‘irresponsible’ comments over violence in the national capital when it is going through a ‘sensitive time’.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Erdogan’s comments were ‘factually inaccurate’ and driven by his ‘political agenda’.
Last week, the Turkish president had severely criticised India for the communal clashes in Delhi and even went on to call them ‘massacres of Muslims’.
Kumar said India had made a strong demarche on the matter with the Turkish Ambassador in the national capital, Tuesday.
“The comments are factually inaccurate and are driven by his political agenda. We do not expect such irresponsible statements from a Head of State,” Kumar said.
On the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights approaching the Supreme Court against the citizenship amendment law, Kumar said it is now for the top court to decide on the issue.
Asked about comments by Adams on the violence, Kumar said the situation in the capital is fast returning to normal and that law enforcement agencies are doing their best to restore confidence and ensure that law and order is maintained.
“The Prime Minister has appealed for peace and brotherhood. Senior officials have visited the place of violence, peace committees have been formed and other steps have been taken in this direction,” informed Kumar.
“At this sensitive time, we would urge people not to make any irresponsible comments and not to be influenced by selective and unsubstantiated narrative on the matter,” added the MEA spokesperson.
Adams, the UK’s Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), said Wednesday the British government is concerned over the potential impact of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India.
Adam’s response came following an urgent question on recent violence in India by Pakistani-origin Opposition Labour Party MP Khalid Mahmood in the House of Commons.
Agencies
