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| US State Department spokesman Ned Price speaks at the State Department in Washington, DC, US August 18, 2021. Reuters/File |
The derogatory remarks by the BJP members have sparked outrage not only in the South Asian nation but across the globe.
During a press briefing on Thursday, the US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said: “We regularly engage with the Indian government at senior levels on human rights concerns including freedom of religion or belief. we encourage India to promote respect for human rights.”
“This is something that we’ve condemned. We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials,” he added.
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Responding to a question, the spokesperson describing Pakistan as a partner said his country looks for ways to advance this partnership in a manner that serves mutual interests.
Protests across India over blasphemous remarks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has faced a backlash from Muslims at home and abroad, including from a number of Gulf countries, after two officials from his BJP commented in late May and earlier this month.
One of them, spokeswoman Nupur Sharma, has been suspended and the other official has been expelled by the party.
That has not calmed anger in the latest instance of what some in the Muslim community see as increased pressure under the rule of the Hindu nationalist BJP on issues ranging from freedom of worship to the wearing of hijab head scarves.
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