India lambasts Pakistan's 'absurd statement' on Ram Janmabhoomi verdict

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also reminded Pakistan that “India is a nation served by the rule of law."

New Delhi: India on Thursday lambasted an “absurd statement” by Pakistan after Islamabad criticised both the construction of a Temple dedicated to Lord Rama  in Ayodhya as well as the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Ayodhya case that was delivered a few months ago.

New Delhi said that given the poor Pakistani record on treatment of their own minorities, Islamabad should be “embarrassed” to even mention the word “minorities”, adding that Pakistan had no locus standi to comment on the matter.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also reminded Pakistan that “India is a nation served by the rule of law and which guarantees equal rights to all faiths” and that “Pakistan’s Foreign Office may take time out and read their own constitution to realise the difference.”

 Ridiculing the Pakistani judiciary too, India said “Pakistan must realise” that their (Pakistani) judiciary  is “thankfully not the norm” and that “there are others elsewhere (Indian judiciary) with credibility and integrity that Pakistan understandably finds difficult to recognise”.

 “We have seen an absurd statement by Pakistan on a matter on which it has no locus standi. Given its record, Pakistan should be embarrassed to even mention minorities. After all, numbers don’t lie even if they do,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

The Pakistan Foreign Office had on Wednesday night issued a statement, claiming that the construction of the Temple at Ayodhya was an example of advancement of the “Hindutva” agenda and had also alleged poor treatment of minorities in India.