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15 Nations Condemn Remarks On Prophet As Blowback Against India Spreads: 10 Points
The countries expressed their denunciation and rejection of insults of the Prophet Muhammad
All IndiaEdited by Aditi GautamUpdated: June 07, 2022 12:05 pm ISTThe BJP has suspended spokesperson Nupur Sharma

New Delhi: 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.
Nupur Sharma had made a controversial remark on Prophet Muhammad during a television debate on the vexed Gyanvapi mosque controversy. The remark had triggered outrage. Several protests were organised against the remark. FIRs were also filed against Nupur Sharma. Meanwhile, over 40 people, including policemen were injured in violence in Kanpur over the remark. The police have booked over 1,000 rioters. Jindal had written controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad on social media, which he deleted after outrage.
What Nupur Sharma, Naveen Jindal said on the controversy?
Nupur Sharma wrote on Twitter that she had been upset with the continuous 'insult and disrespect' of Lord Shiva. The claim that the Shivling reportedly found inside the mosque was a fountain, had irked her. "I have been attending TV debates for the past many days where our Mahadev was being insulted and disrespected continuously. It was mockingly being said that it is not Shivling but a fountain. Shivling was being ridiculed by comparing it to roadside signs and poles in Delhi," Sharma said in a statement on Twitter. She withdrew her controversial remark saying it was not her intention to hurt someone's religious feelings.
Jindal also echoed Sharma's sentiments. He said he believes in the philosophy of respecting other religions.
"My intention was not to hurt anyone's sentiments. We respect all religions. I made another tweet today afternoon in which I have written that one should respect all religions. My question was to those people whose mentality is to constantly talk nonsense about Lord Shri Ram, Goddess Sita, Goddess Janaki, Lord Hanuman and Goddess Saraswati. I asked the people a question. It doesn't mean that I want to hurt anyone's sentiments. That's why I want to say very clearly that one should respect all religions. I do not wish to spread hatred amongst people. No religion propagates hatred," he was quoted by the news agency ANI as saying.
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story
- At least 15 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Iran, Jordan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Maldives, Libya and Indonesia have lodged official protests against India over the controversial remarks.
- The countries expressed their denunciation and rejection of insults of the 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.