India takes on Pakistan at UN; tears down its 'ironical' remarks on minority rights

India gave a staunch reply to the erroneous allegations levelled by Pakistan's Foreign Minister about minority communities in India. While speaking at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Rights of Minorities, India termed Islamabad's allegations "the most ironical", given the fact that the reports of minority killings and suppression are quite common in the country. Slamming the remarks of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, India's Joint Secretary of UNES (UN Economic and Social), Srinivas Gotru, said it is ironical that a country whose track record is worst in terms of treating minority communities is lecturing New Delhi about their rights.  

"It is ironic that Pakistan is speaking about the rights of minorities. For a country that has even stopped publishing its data to hide its same shameful record, it is amazing that they have even brought up this subject. It has a long history of having committed a grievous violation of minority rights that the world has ever seen," he said.

Notably, Zardari, on Wednesday, raised bogus concerns about the "ill-treatment of minorities in India". He even criticised the BJP-led government and alleged New Delhi of spreading Islamophobia in the country. “Today, one of the worst manifestations of such Islamophobia is in Hindutva-inspired India. Driven by the ideology of hate against Muslims, the (ruling) BJP-RSS regime is executing its century-old plan to obliterate India’s Islamic legacy and to transform India into an exclusive Hindu state,” the Minister said.

India says "Jammu & Kashmir were, are and will be an integral part of India"

Reacting to his allegations, the Indian envoy reminded Islamabad about how it violates the rights of Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadis. Gotru went on to say that minority women and children are facing abductions, forced marriages and convergence and termed it the most unsafe country. Meanwhile, Pakistan's rhetoric on Jammu and Kashmir was again raised at the international forum and alleged that the Indian government wants to convert the majority community into a minority by using its forces. However, India, in a staunch reply, reiterated its stand about the region and said, "J&K were, are and will be an integral part of India". 

He called the Pakistani minister to stop cross-border terrorism and suggested not to use the international forum to spread their vested interests. "The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, our and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India, irrespective of what the representative of Pakistan believes or covets. We call on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism so that our citizens can exercise their right to life, and liberty. We hope that they will desist from attempts to abuse and politicize such meetings," he added. 

Image: Twitter/@MediaCellPPP/@IndiaUNNewYork