Top officials in the ruling Hindu nationalist party have disparaged remarks about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, eliciting claims of blasphemy from certain Arab nations and leaving New Delhi fighting to handle the harmful impact.

At least five Arab nations have submitted formal grievances against India. On Monday, Pakistan and Afghanistan responded forcefully to remarks made by two critical spokespeople for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

In certain Arab nations, there have been demands for a boycott of Indian goods that have arisen on social media.

The contentious remarks followed an increase in attacks against India's Muslim minority by Hindu nationalists emboldened by Modi's consistent quiet on the subject since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have frequently been criticized for their eating, clothes, and interreligious marriages.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned of a possible escalation in attacks. They have also accused Modi's ruling party of turning a blind eye and occasionally condoning hate speech against Muslims, who make up 14 percent of India's 1.4 billion inhabitants but are numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any country.

Modi's party denies the allegations, but India's Muslims assert that attacks against them and their religion have risen dramatically.

Since last week, resentment had increased when two representatives, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were perceived as an insult to the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and his wife, Aisha.

Before Sunday, when Qatar and Kuwait summoned the Indian ambassadors in protest, Modi's party took no action against them.

Qatar and Kuwait applauded the BJP's decision to suspend Sharma and deport Jindal and its unusual remark that it "strongly denounces insulting any religious personalities."

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also submitted complaints with India. The Organization for Islamic Cooperation, headquartered in Jeddah, stated that the remarks occurred in the "context of intensifying hatred and abuse against Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims."

On Monday, the Foreign Ministry condemned the OIC's views as "unwarranted" and "narrow-minded." New Delhi has not yet commented on the protests submitted by Arab nations.

Sunday, India's embassies in Qatar and Doha issued a joint statement stating that the views against the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government but rather those of "extremists." Both responses indicated that harsh measures had already been taken against those responsible for the offensive remarks.

However, the condemnation from Muslim nations was harsh, signaling that offending the Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry stated that it anticipated a public apology from the Indian government. Kuwait warned that if the remarks were left unchecked, "extremism and hatred" would rise in India. The Grand Mufti of Oman described Modi's party's "obscene rudeness" toward Islam as "war."

Riyadh stated that the remarks were offensive and demanded "respect for beliefs and religions." And Egypt's Al-Azhar Mosque, the foremost religious learning institution in the Sunni world, branded the comments as "real terrorism that can plunge the entire world into severe crises and bloody wars."

The remarks made by Sharma during an Indian television program and Jindal in a tweet have the potential to undermine India's relations with Arab states.

India has solid ties with the affluent sheikhdoms of Qatar and Kuwait, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and other parts of South Asia to feed their tiny local populations and operate their everyday machinery. India's energy-hungry economy is likewise dependent on the oil-rich Gulf Arab states.

Pakistan, the archrival and neighbor of India and Afghanistan, was also angered by the statements.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and communicated Islamabad's "strong condemnation" on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif described the remarks as "hurtful" and asserted that "India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms and persecuting Muslims." India's Foreign Ministry responded by labeling Pakistan "a serial violator of minority rights" and stating that Pakistan should refrain from "alarmist propaganda and attempts to incite communal strife in India."

"India accords the utmost respect to all religions," said Arindam Bagchi, a ministry official.

From Kabul also came criticism. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stated that the Indian government should not permit "such fanatics to insult... Islam and provoke the emotions of Muslims."

Under Modi, anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have increased across India. Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that India was experiencing "increasing attacks on people and places of worship," which prompted a response from New Delhi, which labeled Blinken's remarks "misinformed."

Recently, religious tensions rose after Hindu organizations petitioned a court in the northern city of Varanasi for permission to pray at a 17th-century mosque, alleging that it was constructed by destroying a temple. Critics assert that Indian television anchors have contributed to escalating these tensions through their contentious talks.