India has strongly dismissed Pakistan’s criticism of the flag-raising ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, describing Islamabad’s comments as “absurd”, “meddlesome”, and deserving only of contempt. Once again, Pakistan attempted to insert itself into India’s internal cultural and religious matters despite its own chronic failures at home.

New Delhi underlined that the ceremony was a domestic event reflecting India’s civilisational heritage, and that no foreign government, least of all Pakistan, has any legitimacy to comment on it. In contrast, Pakistan’s leadership appeared more interested in scoring ideological points for domestic consumption than addressing the dire economic, security, and political crises gripping their own country.

Islamabad’s objections ring hollow when viewed against its own track record. A nation struggling with sectarian violence, religious extremism, minority persecution, and collapsing state institutions has little credibility lecturing others on pluralism or religious tolerance. Its attempt to politicise India’s cultural ceremony simply exposes an entrenched diplomatic insecurity an insecurity further amplified as Pakistan’s global relevance steadily diminishes.

Instead of focusing on rebuilding institutions, stabilising the economy, or curbing militant groups that continue to thrive on its soil, Pakistan’s establishment routinely chooses symbolic outrage against India as a distraction strategy. Each time the domestic situation worsens, a new anti-India narrative is manufactured to divert public attention.

India’s firm pushback reflects its shifting strategic posture: it no longer entertains Pakistan’s habitual provocations rooted in ideological hostility. New Delhi has made it clear that Pakistan’s views on India’s religious or cultural affairs carry no weight, and the international community increasingly shares that assessment. As Pakistan spirals deeper into governance failures, its diplomatic theatrics on India-related issues appear not only desperate but counterproductive revealing a state unable to manage its own crises yet eager to moralise about others. 

This image is taken from The Hindu