India hits out after Iranian leader criticizes treatment for Muslims.

India Iran’s relation so far:

India and Iran tend to share a good relationship, illustrated by strong economic ties. In May, they signed a 10-year contract to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar, on Iran’s southeastern coast. India is developing the port as a gateway to exports to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia, allowing it to bypass the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in rival Pakistan. In May the two countries signed a 10-year agreement to develop and manage the Iranian port of Chabahar, located on Iran’s south-eastern coast

Ayatollah Khamenei’s comments:

Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei highlighted the “suffering” of Muslims in India, Gaza, and Myanmar in a message marking the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed. The message, posted on X, called for global solidarity among Muslims but did not provide specifics on the situation in India. Khamenei’s post stated, “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’s Reply to Iran:

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Monday that remarks made by Ali Khamenei in a post on X were “misinformed and unacceptable”. While India and Iran generally enjoy close relations, the approach of India’s Hindu nationalist government to minorities has led to disagreements in the past. Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others,” the statement from New Delhi read.

Impact:

Since then, the country has seen a rising number of attacks against Muslims and their livelihoods. Reports of hate speech have also grown. Cases of mob lynching under the pretext of protecting cows, considered holy by some Hindus, have increased during Modi’s time in power, and homes and properties have been demolished.