New Delhi: The powerful 57-member body of Islamic countries, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Tuesday expressed “deep concern” at the incidents of violence targeting Muslims during religious processions on Ram Navami last week.
Instead of taking note of the OIC's concern, the BJP led government in Delhi reacted saying the statement is an example of “communal mindset”.
The OIC statement came days after a series of communal violence that took places in Mumbai, Jalgaon, Aurangabad, Howrah, Bihar Sharif, Sasaram and some other places of the country.
Ram Navami this year coincided with Ramadan - the month of fasting considered holy for Muslims around the world.
The statement from OIC’s general secretariat expressed “deep concern the acts of violence and vandalism targeting Muslim community in several states in India during the Ram Navami processions, including the burning of a madrasa and its library by an extremist Hindu mob in Bihar Sharif on 31 March 2023”.
The highest representative body of World Muslims denounced the “provocative acts of violence and vandalism” as a “vivid manifestation of mounting Islamophobia and systemic targeting of the Muslim community in India”.
“The OIC General Secretariat calls upon the Indian authorities to take firm actions against the instigators and perpetrators of such acts and to ensure the safety, security, rights, and dignity of the Muslim community in the country,” the statement added.
The BJP government in New Delhi on the other hand instead of allyaing the concerns of the OIC, condemned the it's statement calling it an example of "communal mindset".
MEA Spokesperson A. Arindam Bagchi said, "We strongly condemn the statement issued by OIC Secretariat today regarding India. This is one more example of their communal mindset and anti-India agenda. OIC only does its reputation damage by being consistently manipulated by anti-India forces."
Meanwhile, the Congress has accused the ruling BJP of inciting riots for political mileage, saying "the party stages riots when it is weakened".
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