ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly criticized the “highly irresponsible remarks” made by the Chief Minister of India’s Uttar Pradesh regarding the “taking back of Sindhu (Sindh),” characterizing such statements as indicative of a revisionist and expansionist mindset.
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, previously said that there is no reason why they cannot reclaim Sindhu if they could “take back the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, where the Babri Masjid once stood but has now been transformed into a temple,” after 500 years.
The historical context involves the existence of the Babri Masjid on the Ayodhya site for nearly 500 years until Hindu extremists demolished it in 1992. This demolition resulted in widespread riots, during which around 2,000 people, primarily Muslims, lost their lives.
In November, India’s highest court ruled in favor of Hindus after a legal battle spanning decades, granting them control of the site and allowing Muslims to build a new mosque elsewhere.
In response to these recent remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch condemned the statements made by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. She criticized his affiliation with India’s ruling party and the Hindutva ideology, describing his comments as equally condemnable.
Baloch noted that the Chief Minister had referenced the reclaiming of Ram Janmabhoomi as a precedent for reclaiming a region that is now part of Pakistan. She recalled the history of the Babri Mosque’s destruction and asserted that the inspiration behind such provocative remarks lay in the concept of “Akhand Bharat” (undivided India).
Threat to Regional Stability
The spokesperson expressed grave concern over the proliferation of such ideas, particularly by individuals associated with the BJP-RSS coalition, and their potential impact on regional stability and religious minorities in India.
Baloch urged Indian leaders to focus on resolving disputes with neighboring countries and working towards a peaceful and prosperous South Asia instead of pursuing hegemonic and expansionist ambitions.
