Last Updated on: 9th July 2023, 09:00 am
Nupur Sharma Blasphemous Talk: Clashes Erupt Between Hindus And Muslims in India
Several people were injured after clashes broke out between Muslims and Hindus in Kanpur and elsewhere over statements by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nupur Sharma on Islam during a televised debate.
According to Indian media, Muslims in Kanpur protested Sharma’s remarks, which turned into a communal standoff. After that, the police rushed to the scene and dispersed the crowd. After the violence, FIRs were registered and several arrests were made.
Meanwhile, the BJP announced on Sunday that it had suspended BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma. In a statement on its website, the party said it respected all religions. “The BJP firmly denounces insulting any religious figure of any religion,” Sharma said on Twitter that he had said some things in response to comments about a Hindu god, but that he never intended to hurt anyone’s religious feelings. “If my words have caused any discomfort or hurt anyone’s religious feelings, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement.”
Another BJP spokesman, Naveen Jindal, was expelled from the party for making comments on Islam on social media, the BJP office said. Jindal said on Twitter that he disputed some anti-Hindu god comments. “I just questioned her, but that doesn’t mean I’m against any religion.”
Several BJP supporters on Twitter supported Sharma and Jindal, calling the BJP high command’s decision ‘cowardly’. Sharma’s comments drew complaints from several Muslim countries, including Qatar and Kuwait. Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the Indian ambassador over the comments. Kuwait also summoned the Indian ambassador and said he had handed him a protest note in which Kuwait dismissed and denounced the BJP official’s statements.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry statement also said it welcomed the party’s decision to suspend the official but expects a public apology and immediate condemnation of the Indian government’s comments.
The action against BJP spokesmen was reportedly taken after hashtags calling for a boycott of Indian products circulated on Twitter in Arab countries. Grand Mufti of Oman and Twitter treat calls for a boycott with large audiences. The tweets also included a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amid protests inside and outside India over Sharma and Jindal’s comments, and an attempt by Hindutva workers to retake the Gyanvapi Mosque next to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple compound, the BJP is feeling international pressure for what they now describe as a brazen pursuit of the Hindu majority has become Politics.
Incidentally, the ruling party’s statement in response to the social media backlash contrasts with New Delhi’s outraged tone when it accused the US of engaging in a “vote-banking policy in dealings with international organizations” after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken should speak of “increasing attacks on people and places of worship” in India. This time there was no official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any of the Indian missions in India.
Several countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have reportedly withdrawn Indian products from their hypermarkets. In Kuwait, photos of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been placed in trash cans.
Meanwhile, President Dr. Arif Alvi the hurtful remarks and said they hurt the feelings of all Muslims around the world. This is a reflection of the growing trend of Islamophobia in India, where Muslims live by the millions. The President said that merely suspending and expelling party officials is not enough, rather the BJP must avoid and denounce its extremist and fascist Hindutva ideology. He called on the world community, the United Nations, and international human rights organizations to take seriously the rise of Islamophobia and systematic religious persecution in India with impunity and to take all necessary measures to end it.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the statements. In a tweet, he said: “I strongly condemn the Indian BJP leader’s hurtful comments about our beloved Prophet (PBUH). I said it several times. Under Modi, India disregards religious freedoms and persecutes Muslims. sharply censures India. Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is paramount. All Muslims can sacrifice their lives for the love and respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH).”
The leader of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, also heavily burned the hateful attack. A statement said the Modi government has deliberately pursued policies of provocation and hatred towards Muslims in India, including inciting vigilantism against them. “This attack is the most painful thing that can be done to Muslims who love and revere our Holy Prophet (PBUH) very much. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must crack down on Modi’s India because unfortunately India has so far been allowed to get away with its anti-Islamic policies,” he added.
Pakistan People’s Party leader and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the disgusting and derogatory statements. In a statement on his Twitter account, he said it was time for the international community to end Hindutva-inspired Islamophobia in India.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry also condemned the derogatory statements in the strongest possible terms. “Pakistan strongly condemns the highly derogatory statements recently made by two senior officials from India’s ruling BJP party. These totally unacceptable comments have deeply hurt not only the feelings of the people of Pakistan but also those of billions of Muslims around the world,” he said in a statement.
“The BJP’s attempted clarification and the belated and superficial disciplinary action taken against individuals cannot alleviate the pain and anguish they have inflicted on the Muslim world. Muslims living in India are also outraged by the completely disgusting statements made by the two BJP officials. The communal violence that ensued in Kanpur and other parts of India bears witness to this. Pakistan is also deeply concerned about the alarming increase in communal violence and anti-Muslim hatred in India. Muslims in India are systematically stigmatized, marginalized, and subjected to well-orchestrated attacks by radical Hindu mobs, with the full collusion and backing of the security apparatus in various Indian states. Unfortunately, the Indian state apparatus has stayed aloof from the desperate cries for help from local Muslim communities across the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah, vice president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), has attacked the BJP after suspending two of its speakers. He said: “The reaction in the Arab world must have been very piquant. There is a context in which the BJP suddenly wakes up to denounce “insulting every religious figure of every religion” and it has nothing to do with hurting the feelings of thousands of Muslims in India. This apology for a statement is intended for an international audience.”
