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BJP’s ‘Akhand Bharat’ narrative angers Islamabad
FO regrets installation of provocative mural at Delhi’s new parliament building.
www.dawn.com
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed grave concern over the idea of Akhand Bharat (Greater India), which is being increasingly peddled by the ruling Indian dispensation.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing here on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch regretted the installation of a mural at the new parliament building in New Delhi.
The mural depicts so-called ‘ancient India’, including areas that now constitute parts of Pakistan and other countries.
“We are appalled by the statements made by some BJP politicians, including a union minister, linking the mural with ‘Akhand Bharat’, she said.
The FO spokesperson said the gratuitous assertion of Akhand Bharat was a manifestation of a revisionist and expansionist mindset that seeks to subjugate the identity and culture of not only India’s neighbouring countries but also its own religious minorities.
“It is a matter of grave concern that the idea of Akhand Bharat is being increasingly peddled by individuals belonging to the ruling dispensation in India. The Indian politicians are well advised not to indulge in rhetoric against other countries merely to further their divisive and parochial political agenda,” Ms Baloch said, adding that instead of nurturing hegemonic and expansionist ambitions, India should resolve disputes with its neighbours and work with them to build a peaceful and prosperous South Asia.