Pak hand suspected in fake letter to Jaishankar

NEW DELHI: The Indian establishment suspects Pakistan’s hand in a fake letter ‘signed by members of the Indian community in Iran’ and addressed to foreign minister Jaishankar ahead of Tehran visit. The letter claimed that the community was concerned over the Citizenship Amendment Act and protests in India and wanted to meet Jaishankar to voice concerns.

“Upon learning of your visit to Iran, scheduled for December 21 and 22, from the press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, we Indians living in Iran wish to meet with you in Tehran. The proximate cause for this request is the wave of popular public protests that have swept over our country in the past 10 days, in which a number of our countrymen have been attacked or detained by the police, while several of our fellow Indians have lost their lives too. However, what has worried us even more than this loss of precious lives is the danger posed by the present government’s policies to the peaceful co-existence long enjoyed by Indians belonging to different communities, including Hindus and Muslims…Therefore, we strongly urge you to make time for an open and free interaction with us during your visit so that as citizens of India, we may have the opportunity to seek answers to our questions and concerns,” the letter, termed fake by the Indian establishment and its counterpart in Tehran, said.

Around 70-75 Indian families, mostly Sikhs, reside in Tehran and Zahedan and no representation was given to Jaishankar on CAA, a source told
ET. The families have been there for 120 years. According to an expert on Iranian affairs, the letter may have been a mischief played by Pakistan to create a rift between Delhi and Tehran amid increasing engagements between the two sides.