Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today applauded musician Vishal Dadlani for speaking for Muslims of India amid the ongoing row over former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's comments on Prophet Muhammad.
In a tweet, Vishal Dadlani said, "I want to say this to Indian Muslims on behalf of a majority of Indian Hindus. You are seen and heard, loved and treasured. Your pain is our pain. Your patriotism is not in question, your identity is not a threat to India or to anyone else's religion. We are one nation, one family."
Shashi Tharoor said that he warmly echoes the sentiments of the Bollywood musician.
Mr Dadlani also urged all Indians to not let those win who are trying to divide us. "I also want to say this to all Indians. I'm truly sorry about the ugly nature of Indian politics, that will happily divide us into smaller & smaller groups, until we each stand alone," he said.
"They are all doing that for personal gain, not for the people. Don't let them win," he added.
Nupur Sharma was suspended by the BJP over her comments on the Prophet during a TV debate last month, which have drew furious reactions and official protests from at least 15 nations, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Iran, Jordan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Maldives, Libya and Indonesia.
Several First Information Reports, or FIRs, have been filed against Nupur Sharma in Maharashtra and other states over her comment, which led to massive outrage in India and in Gulf countries.
The BJP also sacked another spokesperson, Naveen Jindal, for his comments on Prophet Muhammad.
Nupur Sharma has, meanwhile, sought four weeks to appear before the Maharashtra Police to record her statement.
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