Pakistan on Monday summoned a diplomat from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to talk about their concerns after Hindutva leaders and Hindu monks in Haridwar called for Muslim genocide in the country.
“Today, the Indian Charge d’Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad and asked to convey the Government of Pakistan’s serious concerns to the Government of India over the widely reported open calls by Hindutva proponents for carrying out genocide of Indian Muslims,” read Pakistan foreign ministry’s a statement.
Several Hindutva leaders and Hindu monks, who addressed a 3-day Hindu Parliament ‘Dharam Sansad’ in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, called for “war against Muslims” and urged “Hindus to take up weapons” to ensure a Muslim “didn’t become the Prime Minister in 2029.”
The speakers at the event had asked Hindus to buy weapons to commit genocide against Muslims. No arrests have been made yet despite the outrage from Opposition leaders, Muslim groups and human rights defenders.
The Pakistani ministry said that it was “highly reprehensible” that the seers who called for violence had “neither expressed any regret nor the Indian government has condemned or taken any action against them so far.”
The neighboring country also claimed that hate speeches and “toxic narratives against minorities, particularly Muslims and their persecution” were of concern to Pakistan’s civil society. Incitement of violence, according to the ministry, had previously led to pogroms in New Delhi in February 2020.
“India is expected to investigate these hate speeches and incidents of widespread violence against minorities, particularly Muslims and their houses of worship and take measures to stop such incidents from recurring in future,” the Pakistan ministry said in the statement.
The Indian High Commission has not yet responded to summons by Pakistan.
