India deplores personal attacks on Macron, condemns Paris beheading

India has strongly deplored "the personal attacks in unacceptable language" on French President Emmanuel Macron while condemning the brutal terrorist attack in Paris which claimed the life of a teacher, earlier this month.

Samuel Paty, a French teacher was beheaded outside the Paris school where he taught by an Islamist radical Abdullakh Anzorov in broad daylight on October 20.

Macron, while offering his tribute to Paty, had raised a serious concern over heinous crimes being committed by radical Islamists in the country. "He was killed because the Islamists want our future. They know that with quiet heroes like him, they will never have it,” the French President had said last week.

His words incensed Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who asked Turks to boycott French goods and even questioned the mental state of Macron.

"What else can one say about a head of state who treats millions of members from different faith groups this way: first of all, have a mental check. Macron needs mental treatment," said Erdogan publicly in comments which have been labeled as “unacceptable” by most of the European Union members.

In a statement, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also expressed outrage over the comments against Macron.

"We strongly deplore the personal attacks in unacceptable language on President Emmanuel Macron in violation of the most basic standards of international discourse. We also condemn the brutal terrorist attack that took the life of a French teacher in a gruesome manner that has shocked the world. We offer our condolences to his family and the people of France," the MEA said without mentioning Turkey or Erdogan.

"There is no justification for terrorism for any reason or under any circumstance," it added.

Meanwhile, India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla starts his tour of Europe from today, visiting France, Germany and the United Kingdom from October 29 to November 4.

During his visit, the Foreign Secretary will review bilateral relations and discuss matters of mutual interest and share Indian perspectives with his counterparts and with other key interlocutors. He will also interact with businesspersons, academics, intellectuals and media persons in these three countries besides discussing international cooperation in dealing with the ongoing pandemic and its consequences.

"France, Germany and UK are strategic partners of India and are nations with which India has close and well-established relations. Bilateral ties are multi-dimensional and have grown rapidly," the MEA said.

India's relations with France, Germany and UK are built on a foundation of shared democratic values and are informed by a commonality of interest in issues such as sustainable development and climate change. India has very substantial trade and commercial ties and large investment flows with these countries. India also works closely with these countries in multilateral and plurilateral platforms on various issues.

Indian priorities such as robust and reformed multilateralism, its expanded multilateral and plurilateral engagements including its forthcoming non-permanent tenure in the United Nations Security Council, and its commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific will be discussed.

The Foreign Secretary’s visit to these countries is part of India’s continuing international engagement and diplomatic outreach in spite of the limitations posed by the pandemic..