Sharp diplomatic fallout over Ram Temple flag ceremony
India on Wednesday delivered a strong rebuke to Pakistan after Islamabad criticised the recent flag-hoisting at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. The ceremony, known as the Dhwajarohan, marked the formal completion of the temple’s construction and was attended by Narendra Modi, who hoisted the saffron “Dharma Dhwaj” atop the temple spire on 25 November 2025.
The neighbouring country’s foreign ministry had expressed “deep concern,” calling the event a sign of rising pressure on religious minorities in India and characterising it as “heritage-desecration.”
India hits back: “Hypocritical homilies” won’t do
Responding through its foreign-affairs ministry, India’s spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected Pakistan’s remarks as baseless and ill-timed, saying the country “has no moral standing to lecture others.”
“We have seen the reported remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve,” Jaiswal declared during a media briefing. “As a country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression and systemic mistreatment of its minorities, Pakistan should focus on its own abysmal human-rights record rather than delivering hypocritical homilies.”
The Indian government dismissed Islamabad’s objections as “uninvited and unwanted opinions on India’s internal matters,” underlining that sovereign cultural and religious decisions lie within India’s domain alone.
What led to the diplomatic exchange
The Dhwajarohan event in Ayodhya was highly symbolic — the saffron Dharma Dhwaj is regarded by many Hindus as the completion signal of the temple’s construction, signifying a restoration of cultural heritage.
However, Pakistan viewed the ceremony as problematic, arguing it symbolised increased marginalisation of Muslim heritage and furthered majoritarian Hindu dominance. The statement from Islamabad warned of a growing “pressure on Islamic heritage and rights of minorities.”
Broader implications for India–Pakistan relations
- Strained diplomatic atmosphere: The exchange risks adding further friction to already tense bilateral ties, especially on issues related to minority rights and cross-border perceptions.
- Sovereignty vs external commentary: India’s rebuttal reinforces its stance that internal cultural and religious decisions are sovereign matters — not open to external critique.
- Domestic political resonance: The strong response from New Delhi is likely aimed at projecting resolve and defence of national dignity, possibly shaping public and political narratives ahead.
- Regional optics: For countries observing the India–Pakistan dynamic, the episode may reflect broader sensitivities around cultural identity, nationalism and external interference.
Final word
The flag-hoisting at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple was intended as a moment of closure and cultural affirmation for many in India — a centuries-long aspiration realised. But in drawing a rebuke from Pakistan and an emphatic rebuttal from New Delhi, it has also reopened diplomatic fault lines. As India rejects outside commentary on its religious milestones, this incident stands as a clear statement: when it comes to heritage and sovereignty, external lectures will be met with firm resistance.
