Hawzah News Agency  (Islamabad - Pakistan) - Pakistan's army slammed New Delhi for carrying out attacks against Muslims in attempts to link them with the spread of coronavirus in India.

"[The] Indian government, media and RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] attempted to link the coronavirus with Muslims and Pakistan but their attempt has badly failed," Pakistan Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar said at a press conference on state-run Pakistan Television.

The RSS, an ultra-right-wing Hindu nationalist organization, is the ideological arm of the BJP.

The virus has no faith, religion and relationship with anyone, but India tried to use it against innocent Muslims and spread more hatred, he said.

He was referring to Indian authorities' recent actions against Tablighi Jamaat members against whom cases were registered linking the virus with them.

As the Indian authorities had alleged that Tablighi congregation held at its headquarters, known as Markaz in the Nizamuddin locality, had led to the spread of coronavirus.

A massive media campaign led to the criminalization of the group.

While hospitals in India segregated patients based on their religious faith and many facilities denying treatment to Muslims that has led to anger among the international Islamic communities.

"The whole world is battling against coronavirus but extremists and racists in India are promoting terrorism," said Iftikhar.

Since Feb. 26, when the first coronavirus case was reported in Pakistan, the Indian army carried out 456 cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and targeted the civilian population, he said.

The LoC is a de facto border that divides the Kashmir valley between Pakistan and India.