Gulf countries condemned on Sunday offensive statements by a spokesperson of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that were deemed offensive to the Prophet Mohammed.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed its vehement condemnation of the statements, stressing its constant rejection of insults to symbols of Islam and symbols and figures of all religions.
It welcomed the measures taken by the BJP to suspend the spokesperson, reiterating the Kingdom's stance that all religions and beliefs must be respected.
Qatar had also demanded that India apologize for the "Islamophobic" comments, as India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu visited the Gulf state in a bid to bolster trade.
India's ambassador in Doha, Deepak Mittal, was ordered to the foreign ministry on the second day of the high profile visit by Naidu and Indian business leaders.
The envoy was handed an official protest letter which said "Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the government of India," according to a foreign ministry statement.
"Allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights" and "will create a cycle of violence and hate", it added.
Earlier Sunday, neighboring Kuwait said that, like Qatar, it had summoned India's ambassador, amid widespread calls on social media for a boycott of Indian goods in the Gulf.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), based in the Saudi city of Jeddah, also condemned the remarks Sunday, saying they came in a "context of intensifying hatred and abuse towards Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims".
India's BJP on Sunday suspended the spokesperson for expressing "views contrary to the party’s position".
New Delhi has made no immediate comment but its embassy in Doha released a statement saying that "strong action" had been taken against "fringe elements" who had made derogatory comments. The embassy gave no further details.
