'No moral standing to lecture us': India fires strong response at Pakistan over comments on PM Modi’s Ram Mandir event

India on Wednesday strongly rejected Pakistan’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in an event at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, calling Islamabad’s comments “baseless and provocative”.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said New Delhi refuses to entertain such statements. “We reject them with the contempt they deserve,” the MEA said.

In a sharp response, the government reminded Pakistan of its own track record on human rights and treatment of minorities. “With a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression and systemic mistreatment of minorities, Pakistan has no moral standing to lecture others,” the MEA stated.


The ministry added that instead of commenting on India’s internal matters, Pakistan should focus on improving conditions within its own borders. “Rather than delivering hypocritical homilies, Pakistan would do better to focus on its own abysmal human rights record,” the MEA said.

Ayodhya Event Marked Completion of Temple Construction

The Indian response came after Pakistan criticised the event in Ayodhya, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted a saffron flag on the shikhar of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple on Tuesday. The Dhwajarohan Utsav symbolised the completion of the temple’s construction.

The ceremony took place on the Panchami of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Margashirsha, adding cultural and religious significance to the event. The day is also observed as the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the ninth Sikh Guru, who meditated in Ayodhya for 48 uninterrupted hours in the 17th century.

Architectural and Cultural Highlights of the Ram Temple

The saffron flag raised atop the temple measured ten feet in height and twenty feet in length. Designed as a right-angled triangle, it features the image of a radiant Sun symbolising the brilliance and valour of Lord Ram, with ‘Om’ and the Kovidara tree also inscribed. The flag reflects the ideals of dignity, unity, cultural continuity and Ram Rajya.

The flag was mounted on a shikhar built in the traditional North Indian Nagara architectural style, while the surrounding 800-metre Parkota (circumambulatory enclosure) follows South Indian architectural styles, showcasing India’s diverse temple heritage.

The temple complex includes 87 intricately carved stone episodes from the life of Bhagwan Shri Ram based on the Valmiki Ramayana on the outer walls of the main temple, along with 79 bronze-cast depictions of Indian cultural history placed along the enclosure walls.

Inputs from agencies