Taking strong exception to criticism of the Gujarat situation by foreign leaders and visiting dignitaries, India on Monday asserted that it ''does not appreciate interference'' in its internal affairs by such people in order to ''pander to their domestic lobbies''.
''We would like to make clear that India does not appreciate interference in our internal affairs including utilisation of the Indian media by foreign leaders as well as by visiting dignitaries to make public statements in order to pander to their domestic lobbies'', External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao told reporters.
New Delhi's sharp response came following an interview to an Indian English daily given by visiting Finland's Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja where he said that the happenings in Gujarat were a matter of great concern and that the ''pictures of carnage are very disturbing''.
India has lodged an official protest with Finland on the issue, Rao said. India's reaction also comes close on the heels of remarks by US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca who, on a visit in New Delhi last week, termed the events in Gujarat as ''horrible''.
New Delhi also proposes to take
up with European Union ''very shortly'' a document finalised by it where
it has reportedly observed that the carnage in Gujarat was a kind of apartheid
and Nazis having parallels with Germany of the 1930s.