AMN WEB DESK
India on Thursday said that the statements and resolutions adopted in the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan demonstrate both the irrelevance of the OIC as a body and the role of Pakistan as its manipulator.
Replying to media queries on references to India in the statements and resolutions adopted in the OIC meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said references have been made to India that is based on falsehoods and misrepresentation. He stated that the absurdity of this body commenting on the treatment of minorities, that too at the instance of a serial violator of human rights like Pakistan, is evident. The spokesperson added that nations and governments that associate themselves with such exercises should realize the impact it has on their reputation.
During its recent meeting, the OIC, a group of 57 countries, expressed deep concern over what issues like “public calls for genocide of Muslims” at the Dharam Sansad in Haridwar last December, harassment of Muslim women on social media and a ban on the hijab (headscarf worn by some Muslim women) on educational premises in Karnataka.
In its statement, the OIC’s general secretariat said the “continued attacks targeting Muslims and their places of worship, the recent trend of anti-Muslim legislations in different states and rising incidents of violence against Muslims on flimsy pretexts…are indicative of the growing trend of Islamophobia”.
Soon after, the MEA rejected the criticism and accused the grouping of having a “communal mindset” and spreading “nefarious propaganda”.