'Nazi-inspired ideology taking over India; world must act now,' warns PM Imran

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday warned the international community about the Nazi-inspired ideology that seems to have taken over nuclear-armed India, and urged the world to act before it is too late to prevent bloodshed. 

Anti-Muslim riots over a controversial citizenship law erupted in the Indian capital of New Delhi this week, leading to violence which has left at least 20 dead and hundreds injured as police fail to control Hindu-supremacist mobs running rampage in Muslim areas. 

In his message on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Delhi, posted on the social networking platform Twitter, PM Imran said that the 200-million strong Muslim minority was being targeted in India. He warned that the bloodshed would get worse if nothing was done. 

"Today, in India, we are seeing the Nazi-inspired RSS ideology take over a nuclear-armed state of over a billion people. Whenever a racist ideology based on hatred takes over, it leads to bloodshed," he wrote on Twitter.

"As I had predicted in my address to the United Nations General Assembly last year, once the genie is out of the bottle, the bloodshed will get worse. Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir was the beginning: now 200 million Muslims in India are being targeted. The world community must act now," he urged.

He also issued a stark warning to anyone hoping to incite similar unrest in Pakistan.

"I want to warn our people that anyone in Pakistan targeting our non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship will be dealt with strictly. Our minorities are equal citizens of this country," he added. 

President Alvi condemns Delhi violence

Earlier, President Arif Alvi had condemned the violence in New Delhi and said that secular forces within India should rise against barbaric actions, like the vandalising of a mosque. 

In a post on Twitter, Alvi shared a video of a Hindu supremacist mob climbing on a minaret of a mosque and said that the visuals were a reminder to Muslims of the Babri Masjid episode. 

"Another update of the disgraceful act. Vandalising a mosque! It seems to be a reminder to Muslims of the Babri Masjid episode. I think secular forces within India should rise against such barbaric actions," he said.

Also read: Delhi violence: Modi govt imposes restrictions on media as 17 killed in anti-Muslim clashes

UN following situation closely in Delhi

The United Nations on Tuesday also expressed concern over the deadly clashes between Hindus and Muslims in New Delhi in which tens of people have reportedly been killed and a mosque set on fire during protest demonstrations against the controversial Indian citizenship law.

“We are obviously following the situation closely,” the UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in response to a question at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

He underscored the need for the Indian security forces to show restraint and to allow the protestors to demonstrate peacefully. “This is the Secretary-general’s constant position,” the spokesman added.

Also read: Seven killed in violent clashes over citizenship law in Delhi as Trump holds talks with Modi

According to BBC, the current unrest is an embarrassment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it has taken the spotlight away from Donald Trump’s visit. BBC said it reporters in north-east Delhi saw Hindu mobs throwing stones and shouting slogans, with some in the crowd shouting “shoot the traitors”.

They also saw plumes of smoke rising from a tyre market that has been set on fire. In another incident on Tuesday afternoon, a mosque was vandalized in the Shahadra area. Widely shared footage showed men trying to rip the crescent from the top of the minaret, and planting a saffron flag.