The controversy flared last week after remarks by BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma on a TV debate and the party's Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal's now-deleted tweets.
The comments were criticised by Muslim groups in India and triggered violence in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh on Friday, injuring around 40 people.
Outrage over the remarks has spread in the Arab world with a trending Twitter hashtag calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries. A Qatari minister said, “Systematic hate speech against Islam in India... will be considered insult by 2 billion Muslims.”
Facing a growing backlash, the BJP suspended Nupur Sharma and expelled Naveen Kumar Jindal. The party also issued a statement underscoring its respect for all religions and their revered figures.
Both BJP leaders said it was never their intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings. Ms Sharma withdrew her controversial statement made in the TV debate and claimed that her comments were a reaction to "continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev (Lord Shiva)"
Ajmer Court Acquits 6 For Raising Offensive Slogans Against ex BJP Leader Nupur Sharma Man Arrested In Bihar For Threatening Ex BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma Dutch PM Frontrunner's "Message Of Support To Brave" Nupur Sharma 4-Year-Old Boy Run Over By Speeding Creta In Mumbai, Teen Driver Arrested BJP Leader Who Lost To Priyanka Gandhi Challenges Election, Congress Reacts Germany Refused To Extradite Saudi Suspect? Suicidal Empathy, Says Elon Musk Helicopter Crashes Into Turkish Hospital During Take-Off, Four Killed PM Modi Gets Kuwait's Highest Honour 'The Order Of Mubarak Al Kabeer' Video Emerges Of Mohali Building Collapse, Many Feared Trapped For Hours Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.