New Delhi: India expressed strong disagreement with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over his recent statement that individuals who remain indifferent to the plight of Muslims in India cannot be considered Muslims.

India has dismissed the comments as misinformed and unacceptable.

The Ministry of External Affairs expressed strong disapproval and urged the countries to check their own track record on minority rights before "making any observations about others."

"We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These are misinformed and unacceptable," the MEA said in a press release.

"Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others," the release further said.

Notably, in a post on X, Ali Khamenei wrote, "The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent with regard to our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah."

He added, "We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place."

Meanwhile, in another post, Khamenei spoke about Gaza and Palestine and said, "Achieving the important goal of upholding the Islamic Ummah's honour can only be realized through unity. Today, it is definitely our duty to support the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine. Anyone who neglects this duty will surely be questioned by God."

(With Inputs From Agencies)