'Devoid of moral standing': India slams Pak’s remarks on Modi hoisting saffron flag at Ayodhya Ram Temple

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “rejects with contempt” Pakistan’s remarks, adding that a country with a “deeply stained record of bigotry, repression, and systemic mistreatment of its minorities” is in no position to lecture others.

“Rather than delivering hypocritical homilies, Pakistan would do better to turn its gaze inwards and focus on its own abysmal human rights record,” Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

Pakistan had protested the raising of the saffron flag, describing it as an attempt to heighten pressure on India’s minority communities and erase Muslim heritage.

The reference was to the Ram Temple being erected on the site of the 16th-century Babri Masjid, demolished by a mob in 1992.

The dispute over the site ended in 2019 when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Hindu claimants, paving the way for the construction of the temple.

Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone in 2020 and presided over its consecration earlier this year.

On Tuesday, Modi hoisted a 22-foot saffron religious flag atop the complex and participated in rituals conducted by 108 priests. Addressing thousands of devotees, he said a “500-year-old resolve” had finally been fulfilled.

“Ayodhya is witnessing another epochal event… The country and the world are immersed in Ram,” the Prime Minister said.

The triangular flag, marked with the symbol of the Sun, signifies eternal energy, radiance, and virtues associated with Lord Ram.

The exchange has added fresh tension to the already strained ties between the two neighbours.