Modi’s dangerous steps threat to peace: Qureshi

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the international community on Sunday to take notice of Modi government’s dangerous steps which are badly affecting peace in the region, as he cautioned that India could resort to false flag operation to divert attention from its domestic chaos.

Similar concerns were raised by Prime Minister Imran Khan a day earlier and vowed a “befitting response” to any Indian false flag operation.

At least 25 people have died in almost two weeks of demonstrations and violence after Modi’s government passed a new citizenship law criticised as anti-Muslim. More protests took place on Sunday.

Qureshi, in a statement, said all the Indian minorities, particularly Muslims, and the entire opposition had been protesting against discriminatory citizenship law. The foreign minister said he had informed the UN Security Council about apprehensions and possible threats in his letter on December 12.

He said unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control were continuing. However, he added Pakistan had befittingly responded to the unprovoked firing by Indian forces in which a large number of Indian casualties had been reported and their posts also targeted.

On the other hand, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed concern over “the recent developments pertaining to both the issue of citizenship rights and the Babri Masjid case”, media reported.

In a statement issued on Sunday, it said: “The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has been closely following recent developments affecting Muslim minority in India.”

The OIC reiterated call to ensure the safety of the Muslim minority and the protection of Islamic holy places in India. “The General Secretariat reaffirms the crucial importance of upholding the principles and obligations enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and relevant international covenants that guarantee the rights of minorities without any discrimination.” It added: “Any action, contrary to these principles and obligations, may lead to further tensions and may have serious implications on peace and security across the region.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought on Sunday to reassure India’s Muslims as a wave of deadly protests against the citizenship law put his Hindu nationalist government under pressure like never before.

Addressing party supporters in New Delhi—who cried “Modi! Modi!” at the mention of the law—the 69-year-old said Muslims “don’t need to worry at all” provided they are genuine Indians.

“Muslims who are sons of the soil and whose ancestors are the children of mother India need not to worry,” Modi told the crowd of thousands.

Accusing the main opposition Congress party of condoning the recent violence by not condemning it, Modi said opponents were “spreading rumours that all Muslims will be sent to detention camps”.

“There are no detention centres. All these stories about detention centres are lies, lies and lies,” he said.

Modi also said that there had been “no discussion” about a nationwide “register of citizens”, which many Muslims in India fear is targeted mainly at them.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Modi’s close ally, has said repeatedly that such an exercise will take place, including in parliament aimed at removing all “infiltrators” from India.

This year such a register in Assam state left off 1.9 million people unable to prove they or their forebears were there before 1971. They now face possible statelessness.

Assam has six functional detention centres holding more than 1,000 people in the northeastern state, and plans another 11. The Home Ministry in June issued a “2019 Model Detention Manual” to states, asking them to set up camps in major entry points.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered late Saturday in the southern city of Hyderabad. Other protests took place on Sunday, including in Jaipur and Mumbai. Another in favour of the law was held in Bangalore.

The law gives religious minority members—Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Christians and Buddhists—from three neighbouring Islamic countries an easier path to citizenship, but not if they are Muslim.

More than 7,500 people have either been detained under emergency laws or arrested for rioting, according to state officials, with 5,000 in Uttar Pradesh state alone where 17 people have been killed.