New Delhi:

Days after several nations expressed outrage over controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad by the two now dismissed BJP officials, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that people’s sensitivities and sensitivities were affected, which the countries expressed, but they understood that this was not the case. government position.

He claimed that what was said was not the position of the BJP and that the party had said it “very clearly in very strong terms”, and took action.

“Countries, not just in the Gulf, I would say even in Southeast Asia, some countries, which had concerns, appreciate that this was not the position of the government,” Mr Jaishankar said when asked about the controversy during a town hall organized by CNN-News18.

“They (countries that have expressed concern) are dealing with us, they know what we are talking about…they know it’s not our views,” he said.

Once the party clarifies its position, we hope the people will understand this, Mr Jaishankar said.

“There will be people fishing in troubled waters. International relations is a very competitive game that is not played by Queensberry rules. There will be people trying to make the most of it,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs without naming any country. .

“We have to engage, we have to get our point across and we are doing that. Even in the last few days you can see that people understand what the real picture is in India,” he said.

Asked why India should be lectured by countries that don’t measure up in democratic terms, the minister said he did not see the whole issue that way.

“I’m also a little sensitive to lectures. But I wouldn’t take this issue as a lecture. I think it was an issue where people’s sensibilities and sensitivities were impacted. So they expressed that,” said Mr Jaishankar.

He said we need to clarify what we stand for and that’s what the party did.

Several Muslim-majority nations have expressed outrage and condemnation at the controversial remarks about the Prophet.

The BJP had suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media chief Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks.

(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)