The United States has condemned remarks by Indian ruling party officials about Prophet Muhammad and his wife that have sparked an uproar in Muslim countries.
The country also criticised PM Narendra Modi for not breaking his silence on the issue.
"We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials and we were glad to see that the party publicly condemns those comments," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Thursday.
"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," he said.
Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s Hindu ultra-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on May 26 made televised remarks about the youngest wife of the Prophet that have triggered demonstrations across the Islamic world.
The remarks 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.
In damage-control mode, the BJP suspended Sharma as well as Naveen Kumar Jindal, another figure in the party who made inflammatory tweets about Prophet Muhammad and his wife Ayesha.
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