U.S. says it ‘condemns remarks on Prophet made by BJP officials’

The United States condemned remarks by BJP officials about the Prophet Mohammed that have sparked an uproar in Muslim countries.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said  “We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials and we were glad to see that the party publicly condemns those comments. We regularly engage with the Indian government at senior levels on human rights concerns including freedom of religion or belief and we encourage India to promote respect for human rights.”

The remarks made by Nupur Sharma, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, set off diplomatic protests not only in rival Pakistan but in wealthy Arab states that usually enjoy close relations with India. In Bangladesh, protesters have demanded a formal condemnation from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of India.

The United States since the late 1990s has sought to deepen ties with India, believing the world’s two largest democracies have common interests especially in the face of a rising China. The United States, however, has several times carefully voiced concern about human rights in India as Mr. Modi faces accusations of pursuing policies that target the Muslim minority.