Govt summons Tehran's envoy to protest Iranian Foreign Minister's comment on Delhi violence

A day after Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif termed the recent clashes in North-East Delhi “organized violence” against Muslims; New Delhi strongly protested against his comments on “internal matters” of India.

Ali Chegeni, ambassador of Iran to India, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi early on Tuesday.

The senior officials of the MEA conveyed to him that the violence in parts of Delhi last week was an “internal matter” of India and the Government of India did not expect such a statement from Foreign Minister of Iran, sources said.

Zarif on Monday called the recent clashes in Delhi as “the wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims” and condemned it.

“Iran condemns the wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims,” Zarif posted on Twitter. His strong statement came as the death toll in the violent clashes over Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Delhi last week reached 47.

“For centuries, Iran has been a friend of India,” Iranian Foreign Minister tweeted, adding: “We urge Indian authorities to ensure the well-being of ALL Indians & (and) not let senseless thuggery prevail. Path forward lies in peaceful dialogue and rule of law.”

Though the violent clashes in the national capital territory already drew Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government flak from certain sections of the international community, the strong critical remarks from Tehran came as a rare shock for New Delhi.

Iran generally avoids taking a critical stand on any internal matter of India.

After Modi government on August 5, 2019 moved to strip Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) off its special status and reorganized the state into two Union Territories, Tehran kept its reaction limited to expressing concerns over “condition of people” in the valley and urging New Delhi to adopt “a fair policy” towards the people of the region.

Tehran also avoided taking Islamabad's side whenever tension between India and Pakistan escalated.

India brought down its crude oil import from Iran to zero over the past one-and-a-half-years to save its entities from United States sanctions.

When violence broke out in Northeast Delhi, US President Donald Trump was on a visit to India. He, however, refrained from taking it up with Prime Minister or making any comment about it during his press-conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.

After his return, the US Government's State Department, however, on Thursday subtly nudged India to respect the right of peaceful assembly. The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), however, expressed “grave concern” over violence in Northeast Delhi in a more straightforward manner.

Michelle Bachelet Jeria, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also expressed concern over “reports of police inaction in the face of attacks against Muslims by other groups, as well as previous reports of excessive use of force by police against peaceful protesters”. “This (violent clashes) has now widened into broader inter-communal attacks, with 34 people killed since Sunday 23 February. I appeal to all political leaders to prevent violence.”

The 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also expressed concern over violence in the National Capital Territory of India.