'Look at own record...': India slams Iran over 'minorities' comment
India has strongly condemned comments made by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about the treatment of Indian Muslims. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described Khamenei's remarks as "misinformed and unacceptable." In a post on X—formerly Twitter—on Tuesday, Khamenei had said: "We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place."
India advises Iran to reflect on its own record
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, advised countries commenting on minorities to first examine their own records. "Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others," he said. Khamenei's comments came amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, a situation that has caused discomfort in New Delhi due to its close ties with both nations.
Israel's ambassador to India reacts to Khamenei's comments
Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, also responded to Khamenei's statement, labeling him a "killer and oppressor" of his own people. "@khamenei_ir you are a killer and oppressor of your own people. Muslims in Israel, India and all democracies enjoy freedom, which is denied in Iran," wrote Azar. This isn't the first time Khamenei has criticized India over issues involving Indian Muslims and the troubled Muslim-majority region of Kashmir.
Khamenei's past criticisms of India
In 2019, Khamenei expressed concern about the situation of Muslims in Kashmir. "We're concerned about Muslims's situation in #Kashmir. We have good relations with India, but we expect the Indian government to adopt a just policy toward the noble people of Kashmir and prevent the oppression & bullying of Muslims in this region," he had said. In another post in 2020, he wrote: "The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India."
India-Iran relations amid Khamenei's criticisms
Despite Khamenei's criticisms, India and Iran have maintained strong bilateral relations. In May, the two countries signed a 10-year contract to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar. India has been developing this port on Iran's southeastern coast along the Gulf of Oman to transport goods to Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, bypassing the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan.
