India’s notorious propagandist and unabashed war-monger retired Indian Army officer Major Gaurav Arya, who regularly appears on TV channels as a self-styled defence expert, has come under fire for making abusive and Islamophobic remarks against Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, forcing Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to issue a sharp response, condemning Arya’s remarks. 

In a video posted on May 8 to his YouTube channel Chanakya Dialogues, Arya referred to Araghchi as a “son of a pig” and accused Iran of interfering in India’s internal affairs. The comments were made while Arya was discussing Operation Sindoor. During the video, provocatively titled “Indian Army Strikes Back, Pakistan is Burning,” Arya criticised Iran’s diplomatic outreach to both India and Pakistan amidst rising tensions between the two neighbours.

He accused Iran of siding with Pakistan due to shared religious affiliations, stating that Iran had intervened “because they are both Muslim countries.” At one point, Arya highlighted an image of Araghchi and superimposed the word “PIG” over it. The Iranian Embassy in New Delhi issued a sharp response, condemning Arya’s remarks as offensive and culturally insensitive.

“Respect for guests is a long-standing tradition in Iranian culture. We Iranians consider our guests to be ‘beloved by God.’ How about you?” the embassy said in an official statement. Despite the backlash, Arya remained defiant, reaffirming his statements in a follow-up message. He claimed he was “speaking the truth” and dismissed the possibility of any governmental censure.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)