French teacher beheading: India 'deplores' personal attacks on Emmanuel Macron

India's Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said, "We strongly deplore the personal attacks in unacceptable language on President Emmanuel Macron in violation of the most basic standards of international discourse.

"We also condemn the brutal terrorist attack that took the life of a French teacher in a gruesome manner that has shocked the world."

"There is no justification for terrorism for any reason or under any circumstance," the statement added.

Thanking India for the support, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain tweeted, "Thank you India. France and India can always count on each other in the fight against terrorism."

After Samual Paty, a History teacher, had shown the caricature to his students, he was beheaded outside a school in the western suburb of French capital Paris on Oct 16.  

His assailant was shot dead by police while trying to arrest the accused.

As Macron took stern action against all terrorist activities in the country, countries like Turkey and Pakistan have slammed the French President.

Macron had said his country "will not give up cartoons" depicting Prophet Muhammad and added Islam was a religion in "crisis".

Turkish President  Recep Tayyip Erdogan said as quoted by CNN, "What is Macron's problem with Islam? What is his problem with Muslims?"

"Macron needs some sort of mental treatment. What else is there to say about a head of state who does not believe in the freedom of religion and behaves this way against the millions of people of different faiths living in his own country?" he added.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted, "Hallmark of a leader is he unites human beings, as Mandela did, rather than dividing them. This is a time when Pres Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarisation & marginalisation that inevitably leads to radicalisation." (sic)

He added, "It is unfortunate that he has chosen to encourage Islamophobia by attacking Islam rather than the terrorists who carry out violence, be it Muslims, White Supremacists or Nazi ideologists.

"Sadly, President Macron has chosen to deliberately provoke Muslims, incl his own citizens, through encouraging the display of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam & our Prophet PBUH. By attacking Islam, clearly without having any understanding of it, President Macron has attacked & hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims in Europe & across the world."

"The last thing the world wants or needs is further polarisation. Public statements based on ignorance will create more hate, Islamophobia & space for extremists."