Following a verbal spat at the United Nations between the South Asian rivals, members of India’s ruling party set fire to effigies of Pakistan’s foreign minister.
Since their independence from Britain 75 years ago, the nuclear-armed neighbors have had toxic relations and fought several wars, the majority of which were over disputed Kashmir.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar urged Pakistan to “try to be (a) good neighbor” this week at the United Nations in New York, describing the nation as the “epicentre of terrorism.”
In response, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his Pakistani counterpart, referred to India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “Butcher of Gujarat.”
Zardari stated, “I want to tell India that Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat is alive and he is the Prime Minister of India.”
“Until he became Prime Minister, he (PM Modi) was prohibited from entering this country, the United States. This is the RSS’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, respectively. What does RSS mean? The RSS is influenced by Hitler’s “SS.”
This was in reference to the 2002 sectarian riots that killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, while Modi was chief minister of the state of Gujarat. He was accused of ignoring the situation.
Protests and war of words
In response to the remarks, hundreds of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members protested outside the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi on Friday.
In the cities of Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, and Ranchi, demonstrators set fire to effigies of Zardari and shouted slogans, according to the BJP’s announcement of new nationwide protests for Saturday.
India’s Foreign Ministry asserted that “‘Made in Pakistan’ terrorism had to stop” on Friday and described Zadari’s remarks as a “new low even for Pakistan.”
The Indian government “has tried to hide behind subterfuge and canard to conceal the realities of the 2002 Gujarat massacre,” Pakistan stated in its own statement on Saturday.
Read: Indian terror claims receive a firm response from FM Bilawal
“This is a shameful account of a massacre, lynching, rape, and theft. The fact of the matter is that the perpetrators of the Gujarat massacre have avoided being brought to justice and now hold important government positions in India,” the statement continued.
In response to Indian protests, Zardari stated that “Indian citizens gave this title to him (Modi)” and that he did not invent the phrase “Butcher of Gujarat.” Therefore, despite your protests, you cannot alter the facts.”
According to the DAWN news website, the Pakistani foreign minister stated, “If the purpose of the protests was to scare Pakistan, it would not work.” RSS does not scare us. We do not fear Mr. Modi. The BJP does not frighten us. They ought to protest if they want to.”
Source: AFP
