India trashes Pakistan's objection to commencement of construction of Ram temple

India on Thursday trashed Pakistan's criticism of commencement of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying Islamabad has no locus standi over the issue. "We have seen an absurd statement by Pakistan on a matter on which it has no locus standi. Given its record, Pakistan should be embarrassed to even mention minorities," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. Pakistan Foreign Office on Wednesday said that while the world is grappling with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, "the RSS-BJP combine" was advancing the Hindutva agenda. The commencement of construction of a mandir at the site of the historic Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on May 26, 2020, is another step in this direction and the government and people of Pakistan condemn it in the strongest terms, it said. The Supreme Court, in a landmark verdict in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title case last year, paved way for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. "As for the judiciary, Pakistan must realise that theirs is thankfully not the norm. There are others elsewhere with credibility and integrity that Pakistan understandably finds difficult to recognise," Srivastava said.

He was replying to a question on Pakistan's reaction on the matter. "India is a nation served by the rule of law and which guarantees equal rights to all faiths. Pakistan's Foreign Office may take time out and read their own constitution to realize the difference," the MEA spokesperson said.