New Delhi:
India on Saturday outrightly rejected the “unwarranted and gratuitous comments” made by Pakistan on the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya land dispute case, saying that the matter is “completely internal to India”. The government also condemned Pakistan’s “intent of spreading hatred is condemnable."
"We reject the unwarranted and gratuitous comments made by Pakistan on the judgement of the Supreme Court of India on a civil matter that is completely internal to India. It pertains to the rule of law and equal respect for all faiths, concepts that are not part of their ethos. So, while Pakistan's lack of comprehension is not surprising, their pathological compulsion to comment on our internal affairs with the obvious intent of spreading hatred is condemnable," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday objected to the timing of the Ayodhya verdict, which coincides with the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor, saying he was "deeply saddened" at the "insensitivity" shown at such a joyous occasion.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict on Saturday, cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
In one of the most important and most anticipated judgements in India's history, a 5-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi put an end to the more than a century old dispute that has torn the social fabric of the nation.
"Could it (verdict) not have waited a few days? I am deeply saddened at the insensitivity shown at such a joyous occasion," Qureshi was quoted as saying by the DawnNewsTV.
"You should have taken part in this happy occasion and not attempted to divert attention. The dispute is a sensitive issue and should not have been made part of this happy day," he said, referring to the opening of the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.
The foreign minister said that Muslims are "already under a lot of pressure in India and this decision of the Indian court will further increase pressure on them".
Qureshi said Pakistan would issue its response after going over the judgement in detail.
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain termed the verdict as "shameful, disgusting, illegal and immoral."
Commenting on the judgement, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said the Indian apex court has given the message that it is not independent, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
She said Pakistan is guaranting the rights of minorities by opening the Kartarpur corridor but India is subjecting minorities, including Muslims, to oppression.
