India is heaven for Muslims and their social, economic andreligious rights are secure, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today, inresponse to a statement by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) onwhat it called "Islamophobia" in the country.

"India's Muslims are prosperous. Those trying tovitiate the atmosphere can't be their friends," Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi wasquoted as telling Press Trust of India.

"The constitutional, social and religious rights of allthe citizens including minorities is India's constitutional and moralguarantee," he said.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had in astatement on Sunday urged India to take "urgent steps" to protect therights of Muslims and stop the incidents of "Islamophobia" in thecountry.

In tweets, OIC's Independent Permanent Human RightsCommission also said the Indian media was negatively profiling the Muslims andsubjecting them to discrimination.

Asked about the OIC criticism, Mr Naqvi said, "We aredoing our job with conviction. The prime minister whenever he speaks, he talksabout the rights and welfare of 130 crore Indians. If some cannot see this,then it is their problem." The minister remarked that "secularism andharmony" was not "political fashion but perfect passion" forIndia and Indians.

"Traditional and professional bogus bashing brigadesare still active in the conspiracy to spread misinformation. We should remaincautious of such evil forces and we need to work united to defeat theirnefarious misinformation propaganda," said Mr Naqvi, the only Muslimminister at the centre. The government had earlier hit out at the 57-membergrouping of Muslim majority nations, saying it should not make irresponsiblestatements.

The row follows posts on social media over a Tablighi Jamaatgathering in Delhi last month, which emerged as a super-spreader of coronaviruswith thousands of cases across the country linked to its members.

The Islamic sect was accused of violating social distancingguidelines and ignoring all caution by organizing the gathering of 9,000 attheir centre in Delhi, Markaz Nizamuddin. As states tracked down Tablighimembers in their fight to control the infection, there was a spurt in hateposts on social media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday criticized any formof discrimination, saying the COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone equally."COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language orborder before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attachprimacy to unity and brotherhood," the PM had said in a post on LinkedIn.