United Nations: Rejecting Organisation for Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) criticism as “divisive,” India has said that efforts to combat religiophobia will not succeed if the rising hatred against Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism is ignored.
“It’s time that UN member states condemned hatred against non-Abrahamic religions as well and stop from being selective in combating religiophobias,” India’s Permanent Representative T. S. Tirumurti told the General Assembly on Monday.
“There cannot be double standards on religiophobias if you truly want to combat hate,” he said at the informal high-level meeting commemorating the first International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
India has promoted a culture of tolerance and respect for all religions under its constitution and its legal system deals with violations, he added, reacting to a criticism voiced by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC.
“Aberrations are dealt with within our legal framework and we reject selective outrage from outside, especially when they are motivated and pursuing a divisive agenda just as we heard today’s references against India by OIC,” he said.
Pakistan was referring to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who has been suspended by the party’s leadership and is facing criminal charges in several cities of hurting religious sentiments.