The insular notion that domestic political debate, conducted in Hindi, will only affect domestic Hindi-speaking television audiences, has of course been rendered totally obsolete by the Internet. It did not take long for Islamic countries to hear about the remarks, and to erupt in fury. Most of the Gulf countries, other Muslim nations, and inevitably Pakistan – a total of twenty Islamic states -- summoned the Indian envoys in their capitals to give them a tongue-lashing on the “unacceptable” statement and demand punishment for those who made it. Qatar cancelled a formal lunch for the visiting Indian Vice-President, Venkaiah Naidu. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, no friend of New Delhi, capitalised on the moment to condemn India and issue calls for the UN to take action against it. Movements to boycott Indian goods erupted in eleven Muslim countries. A number of Indians employed in the Gulf were informed of the termination of their services. Al-Qaeda issued a statement threatening retaliation – and the recent grisly beheading of an Udaipur tailor suggests there are some Muslims in India willing to heed them.