New Delhi: A day after the Ministry of External Affairs said that its Iranian counterpart had pulled down the statement saying the NSA Ajit Doval had assured the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister about action at the government level against those behind the controversial remarks against the Prophet of Islam, the Islamic Republic has not removed the reference to the claim on its website much to the dismay of New Delhi.
On Thursday, the MEA said Iran pulled down the readout making the claim. While responding to a question about the NSA and Iranian Foreign Minister meeting in wake of the Prophet's controversial remark, the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “I don’t like to comment on comments between senior dignitaries. My understanding is that the readout has been pulled down by Iran”.
Also read: Prophet remarks row: Iran pulls down statement of meeting with NSA Ajit Doval
However, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has not removed a reference to the uproar in connection with derogatory remarks about the Prophet while Iran's Foreign Ministry removed it earlier. At the time of writing this report, the last paragraph of the official press release from Iran's official government website read: "Referring to the negative atmosphere created by some people in disrespecting the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH), he (NSA Ajit Doval) reiterated the respect of the Indian government and officials for the Holy Prophet (PBUH), saying that it will be treated as a lesson for others".
Iran says the assurance was given in a crucial meeting between NSA Ajit Doval and Iran's Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian where Doval reiterated to Amir that the “Indian government respects the Prophet and it will be treated as a lesson for others". The ruling party has already suspended the spokesperson Nupur Sharma and has also expelled Naveen Jindal whose controversial statements on Prophet and Islam have put the saffron party in the dock with more than a dozen nations slamming the remarks.
On Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi while addressing the media said, "We have made it pretty clear that tweets and comments do not reflect views of government", referring to the controversial statements by the now expelled BJP functionaries. Asked about Iran's statement on the meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, Bagchi said, "My understanding is that what you are referring to in a readout has been pulled down." "This has been conveyed to our interlocutors as also the fact that action has been taken by the quarters concerned against those who made the comments and tweets. I really do not have anything additional to say on this," he said.
