India should confront ‘extremist Hindus’: Iran’s Khamenei on Delhi riots

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Thursday (March 5) criticised what he referred to as “massacre of Muslims in India” and said the Indian government should confront “extremist Hindus”.

Khamenei was apparently referring to the communal violence in northeast Delhi that claimed at least 47 lives last week, and left over 200 injured.

The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam.#IndianMuslimslnDanger

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) March 5, 2020

“The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam,” he said in a tweet.

Khamenei, who controls all major security and foreign policy decisions, tweeted in English, Urdu, Persian and Arabic along with a photograph of a child grieving over the body of a man who was killed in the recent violence in Delhi.

His remark comes three days after Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned” the communal riots, which he called an “organised violence against Indian Muslims”.

Iran condemns the wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims.

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.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) March 2, 2020

“Iran condemns the wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims. 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 had said in a tweet on March 2.

Subsequently, India had summoned Iranian Ambassador Ali Chegeni on March 3 and lodged a strong protest against Zarif’s “unwarranted remark” and conveyed to him that his “selective characterisation of recent events in Delhi aren’t acceptable”.

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“We don’t expect such comments from a country like Iran,” the ministry of external affairs had then said.

The ties between India and Iran have been on an upswing over the last few years. Notwithstanding US sanctions against Iran, India has been maintaining cordial relationship with Tehran and have been actively involved in development of the strategically located Chabahar port in the Gulf nation.

Zarif visited India in January in the midst of Tehran’s escalating tension with the Trump administration over the killing of top Iranian General Qassem Sulemani in a US military strike in Iraq.

(With inputs from agencies)