Prophet comment row: We strongly encourage respect and tolerance for all religions, says UN spokesman

New Delhi, Jun 7: Amid Muslim nations condemning the remarks by the BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammed, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that "we strongly encourage respect and tolerance for all religions."

Responding to a question by a Pakistani journalist over the sharp reaction to the row, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General, said "I've seen stories. I haven't seen the remarks themselves, but I mean, regardless, I can tell you that we strongly encourage respect and tolerance for all religions,"

BJP's former national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal made a controversial comment against the Prophet, forcing the saffron party on Sunday to suspend both as the row escalated with protests from many Muslim countries.

Countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Iran have given sharp reactions even as the BJP issued a statement asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insults of any religious personality.

Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said on Sunday that the Ambassadors have "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India.