'Absurd Comments': India Rejects Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's Remarks On Varanasi's Ganj Shahida Mosque

New Delhi: India has strongly rejected remarks made by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari over the alleged demolition threat to a Muslim religious site in Varanasi, calling the comments unwarranted and an interference in India’s internal matters.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan had no standing to comment on issues that fall within India’s domestic jurisdiction. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India categorically rejected the remarks made by the Pakistan President and added that he had no locus standi on matters internal to India.

The response came after Zardari expressed concern over what Pakistan described as demolitions and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India. PakistanTV reported that Zardari had referred to Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi and called on India to immediately stop such actions. 

In a post on X, the President of Pakistan wrote, “President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep concern over the demolitions and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India, including the 1,000-year-old Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi. He asked India to immediately stop such actions, warning that they risk leading to the disintegration and perennial chaos of India. He called for an immediate halt to such actions and urged the protection of minority rights and shared cultural heritage.”

Randhir Jaiswal said the remarks were particularly absurd given Pakistan’s own human rights record, which he said had been a matter of global commentary. He also accused Pakistan of having a long history of systematically targeting and victimising minorities across different faiths.

“Given this reality, the President's remarks can only be read as a deliberate political attack, driven by Pakistan's national policies of bigotry and hatred,” he added.

This comes after the Railways affixed a notice to the wall of the mosque at the main entrance of Kashi Railway Station. The notice, issued as part of an anti-encroachment drive, reportedly called for vacating the premises by June 20.

Also Read- Bihar Policing Crisis Exposed? Viral Videos Before Encounter Of Bharat Tiwari In Bhojpur Sparks Massive Controversy