A senior Indian diplomat drew the attention of the General Assembly towards the destruction of a temple with explicit support and connivance of the law enforcement agencies.
(Photo: IStock)
Raising at the UN the demolition of a Hindu temple in Pakistan recently, India has ridiculed the co-sponsoring by Islamabad of a resolution on safeguarding religious rites at the 75th session of the General Assembly, saying the global community must stand united against the forces that supplant dialogue and peace with hatred and violence.
In its statement on the adoption of the resolution on “Promoting a culture of peace and tolerance to safeguard religious sites”, India said, “It is a matter of great irony that the country where the most recent attack and demolition of a Hindu temple took place in a series of such attacks and where the rights of minorities are being emasculated is one of the co-sponsors of the resolution. The resolution cannot be smokescreen for countries like Pakistan to hide behind.”
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A senior Indian diplomat drew the attention of the General Assembly towards the destruction of a temple with explicit support and connivance of the law enforcement agencies which stood as mute spectators while the historic religious place was being razed.
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“In this world of growing terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation and intolerance, religious sites and cultural heritage sites remain vulnerable to terrorist acts, violence and destruction. The images of the shattering of the iconic Bamyan Buddha by fundamentalists are still vivid in our memories. The terrorist bombing of the Sikh gurdwara in Afghanistan where 25 Sikh worshipers were killed is yet another example of this vulnerability,” he said.
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