Iranian Ambassador to India Ali Chegeni was summoned by India's Ministry of External Affairs.
India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a demarche to the Iranian ambassador, saying that the foreign minister’s comments were “totally uncalled for and unacceptable”, according to reports.
"The Iranian Ambassador to India Mr Ali Chegeni was summoned and a strong protest was lodged against the unwarranted remarks made by the Iranian Foreign Minister. It was conveyed that his selective and tendentious characterization of recent events in Delhi are not acceptable. We do not expect such comments from a country like Iran," spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said.
Earlier, India had voiced its disapproval of the comments made by Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif regarding the Delhi protests.
“For centuries, Iran has been a friend of India. We urge Indian authorities to ensure the wellbeing of ALL Indians & not let senseless thuggery prevail. Path forward lies in peaceful dialogue and rule of law,” Zarif said on Twitter.
Earlier, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia issued statements on the Delhi protests.
The unrest erupted in late February. Following the deadly incidents, the New Delhi authorities imposed a curfew in the riot-affected areas and urged the national government to send in troops to restore peace. Earlier reports indicated that 42 people had been killed and at least 300 others were injured.
Following the Indian national parliament’s December announcement of passing a bill amending the 1955 citizenship law, the country plunged into ongoing violent protests. The revised document envisions fast-tracking citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who had fled from neighboring Muslim countries before December 2014.
However, given that Muslims themselves were not covered by the law, it triggered a strong backlash among the Indian Muslim community members who said that the amendments violated the constitution by oppressing a group of citizens in a formally secular country on religious grounds.
