Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 26: India on Wednesday issued a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan’s criticism of the Dhwajarohan ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, asserting that Islamabad had no moral authority to comment on India’s internal matters and should instead confront its own grim human rights record.

Reacting to Pakistan’s objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ceremonial hoisting of a saffron flag atop the Ram Temple spire on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “rejects the remarks with the contempt they deserve”.

“A country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression and systemic mistreatment of its minorities has no moral standing to lecture others,” Jaiswal said during the weekly briefing. He added that Pakistan should “turn its gaze inwards” rather than issuing “hypocritical homilies”.

Pakistan had claimed the flag hoisting was part of rising pressure on minorities and an attempt to erase Muslim heritage — a remark India dismissed as baseless and politically motivated.

The Dhwajarohan Utsav marked the completion of the Ram Temple’s construction, with PM Modi describing the ceremony in Ayodhya as an “immensely moving experience”.

Meanwhile, the MEA also responded to China’s stance on Arunachal Pradesh while addressing the recent detention of an Indian citizen from the state at Shanghai International Airport during transit to Japan. Jaiswal reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh “is an integral and inalienable part of India” and said India had issued a strong demarche to China in both Beijing and New Delhi after the incident.