New Delhi: India on Tuesday summoned Iranian Ambassador Ali Chegeni and lodged a strong protest with him over the comments made by Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif over violence in Delhi.
Official sources said that the Iranian envoy was conveyed that Zarif commented on a matter which is purely internal to India.
In a tweet on Monday, Zarif said, “Iran condemns the wave of organised violence against Indian Muslims.”
Iran condemns the wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims.
For centuries, Iran has been a friend of India. We urge Indian authorities to ensure the wellbeing of ALL Indians & not let senseless thuggery prevail.
Path forward lies in peaceful dialogue and rule of law.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) March 2, 2020
“The Iranian Ambassador in Delhi was summoned on Tuesday and a strong protest was lodged over the comments made by Zarif on the matter internal to India,” a source said.
In response to a media query regarding remarks made by the Iranian foreign minister in a tweet, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said:
“The Iranian Ambassador to India Mr Ali Chegeni was summoned and a strong protest was lodged against the unwarranted remarks made by the Iranian Foreign Minister. It was conveyed that his selective and tendentious characterisation of recent events in Delhi are not acceptable. We do not expect such comments from a country like Iran.”
(With PTI inputs)