Prophet Muhammad Remarks: The BJP has suspended spokesperson Nupur Sharma
The diplomatic outrage over the remarks on Prophet Muhammad by BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal continued even as the government sought to defuse the anger in various countries, asserting that it respects all religions.
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story
At least 15 countries, including Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Malaysia. the UAE, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Maldives, Libya, Turkiye and Indonesia have lodged official protests against India over the controversial remarks.
The countries expressed their denunciation and rejection of insults of Prophet Muhammad, and demanded an apology from the government.
At home, the opposition parties stepped up pressure for legal action against the two BJP leaders and accused the party of denting the country's image at the international level.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that the offensive tweets and comments "did not, in any way, reflect the views of the government. These are the views of fringe elements".
The BJP has suspended spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Naveen Jindal over the controversial comments. The party on Sunday issued a statement, saying it is "strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion" and "does not promote such people or philosophy".
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the remarks and urged the United Nations to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of minorities are protected in India.
Qatar, Iran and Kuwait had on Sunday summoned Indian ambassadors to express their strong protest and condemnation of the remarks. The embassies later issued statements, saying the "offensive tweets" by individuals in India "do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India".
The controversial remarks also sparked a trend on social media in various countries calling for a boycott of Indian products.
The comments were made by Nupur Sharma during a TV debate last week in the backdrop of a series of communal incidents across the country. BJP media chief Naveen Jindal posted a tweet about the Prophet, which he later deleted.
The Delhi Police have provided security to Nupur Sharma and her family after a case was registered on a complaint that she was getting death threats. Ms Sharma earlier posted an apology on Twitter, saying that it was not her intention to hurt anyone's religious sentiments.
Post a comment