News Analysis India

Tag: Nupur Sharma

  • ‘High time PM breaks silence on proliferation of Islamophobic incidents’: Tharoor

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid outrage over the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad by the BJP’s now-sacked two functionaries, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said it is high time Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on the “proliferation of hate speech and Islamophobic incidents” in the country, asserting that his silence is interpreted by some as condoning what has been happening.

    In an interview with PTI, Tharoor said the irony is that in recent years the Indian government has taken “impressive steps” to strengthen relations with Islamic countries, but that risks being “seriously undermined”.

    The former Union minister also weighed in on the ongoing debate on the need for blasphemy laws in the country, and said he is not a fan of such laws because the history of such laws elsewhere is littered with their misuse and abuse.

    “The existence of a blasphemy law tends to encourage both excessive frivolous litigation and mob misconduct by those who take the law into their own hands. I think our current hate speech laws and Section 295A are quite adequate to deal with such misbehaviour,” Tharoor said.

    The issue is of the willingness of the police and local authorities to enforce the law, without fear or favour, against whoever violates it, he said.

    “Exemplary action against any and all offenders will have a salutary effect in reducing such cases in future,” the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

    Asked about the outrage and condemnation from a number of Muslim-majority nations over the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad and calls that Prime Minister Modi should have intervened in the matter when the comments were made, Tharoor said, “I believe it is high time the PM broke his silence on the proliferation of hate speech and Islamophobic incidents in our country, because his silence is interpreted by some as condoning what has been happening.”

    “I am sure he (Modi) understands that this kind of divisive rhetoric is undermining his own vision for India’s development and prosperity,” he said.

    Social cohesion and national harmony are a must for any nation to progress and grow, Tharoor asserted.

    “That is why, in the name of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas’, he must publicly call for a stop to such behaviour,” he said.

    Asked about the impact of the row over diplomacy and foreign policy, Tharoor said the irony is that in recent years the Indian government has taken impressive steps to strengthen relations with Islamic countries, especially in the Gulf.

    “That risks being seriously undermined, as the media in these countries is replete with stories about the increasing ‘demonisation’ of Muslims in our country,” the former minister of state for external affairs said.

    The BJP had last Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

    Two persons succumbed to gunshot wounds in Jharkhand capital Ranchi and fresh demonstrations were held in West Bengal’s Howrah on Saturday as tension prevailed in several parts of the country, a day after the violent protests against the controversial remarks.

    On the protests, Tharoor said section 295A of the Indian Penal Code clearly makes it a criminal offence to outrage “the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India”; anyone who by ‘words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the religion or religious beliefs’ of Indians should have been prosecuted by the police.

    “I am glad to see that action is being taken, even if belatedly, against those who injected such toxic elements into our national discourse,” he said.

    Asked about the Congress being accused of peddling in ‘soft Hindutva’ in the past and if the party needs to take an aggressive stance on issues of the minorities such as the row over the comments on the Prophet, Tharoor said he believes the Congress has been clear in its denunciation of this recent incident.

    “We believe in an inclusive idea of India and should and must speak up whenever that idea is violated by word or deed — whoever does it,” he asserted.

  • Prophet row: BJP Bengal chief holds demonstration in Kolkata; Suvendu prevented from visiting violence-hit Howrah

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday held a sit-in before the statue of Mahatma Gandhi here protesting against the alleged failure of the West Bengal government to contain violence in Howrah district.

    The Gandhi statue at the Mayo Road-Dufferin Road crossing in central Kolkata has been witness to numerous protests.

    Majumdar, who started his agitation around noon, also flayed the alleged attempt of the TMC-run government to stop opposition leaders from meeting people, hit by the recent violence.

    Widespread violence broke out in Howrah district on Friday over inflammatory comments by now-suspended BJP functionaries Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal.

    The BJP leader alleged that the police had not taken prompt action to prevent the violence from spiralling in Panchla, Uluberia, Dhulagarh in Howrah district, and Beldanga in Murshidabad district at the outset.

    Majumdar and his supporters were arrested on Saturday while trying to visit Howrah district where several saffron party offices were attacked, as the district was under prohibitory orders and gatherings of five or more people were banned there.

    The BJP leader and his companions were, however, later released.

    TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told reporters, “The BJP has no moral right to talk on the issue as the comments of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal triggered the outrage and hurt the sentiments of people of a particular community and lowered the image of the country abroad.”

    High drama was witnessed at Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district on Sunday afternoon as West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari was prevented by police from visiting violence-hit areas in Howrah.

    He was later allowed to proceed after a two-hour-long stand-off on the condition that he would go straight to Kolkata, without making any pit stop in violence-hit areas in adjoining Howrah district.

    Adhikari said he would move the court on Monday over being prevented from visiting the areas affected by violent protests over controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad by now suspended BJP spokespersons.

    Police claimed preventing him from travelling to Howrah was a “precautionary measure” as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been clamped in many areas in the district and his visit may have caused law and order problems.

    Adhikari was moving with his security entourage when he was stopped by a huge police team at Radharani More in Tamluk.

    He was not accompanied by any other BJP leader.

    “We have received information that Adhikari was planning to visit Howrah district, in parts of which Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed. So, as a precautionary measure, we had to prevent him from going there as his visit may have caused a law and order problem,” a senior police officer told PTI.

    Adhikari remained seated inside the vehicle, claiming he had no intention of visiting Howrah.

    He was also reluctant to return to his hometown Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district from where he had started.

    He engaged in heated arguments with police officers present at the spot, stating that he wanted to have lunch and take rest at a guest house in Kolaghat in Purba Medinipur district, before proceeding to Kolkata.

    “I have been unlawfully obstructed by @WBPolice on NH 116 at Radhamoni under Tamluk PS. @MedinipurSp is there a Curfew in place in Purba Medinipur District or Section 144 has been imposed? I am moving towards Kolaghat for having lunch. How is it prohibited?” Adhikari said in a series of tweets from the spot.

    “I wonder why @WBPolice DGP @mmalaviya1 is using the Police personnel to obstruct @BJP4Bengal leadership when the need of the hour is to deploy them across WB where rioters are having a free run destroying & looting public & private properties,” he added.

    Adhikari said he has a programme to attend at Indian Museum in Kolkata in the afternoon and assembly session will take place on Monday.

    After this, police allowed him to proceed but on the condition that he won’t make any pit stop in troubled areas in Howrah district and go straight to Kolkata, ending the two-hour-long stand-off.

    Upon reaching Kolkata, Adhikari straightaway went to the site of party colleague and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar’s sit-in demonstration against alleged failure of the Mamata Banerjee government in containing violent incidents in Howrah.

    “I did not get down from my vehicle, even while passing by our gutted party office in Uluberia. I offered by tributes with folded hands as the car slowed down. We will later purify it with Ganga water,” he said.

    Adhikari alleged that he was not treated in a proper manner and such treatment was never meted out to the then LoPs Pankaj Banerjee or Partha Chatterjee during the previous Left Front rule.

    He also alleged that Majumdar was prevented from visiting Howrah on Saturday to “hide” torching of properties by a mob in Panchla.

    Majumdar was arrested on Saturday afternoon when he was heading towards Howrah district.

    He was later released.

    In an apparent reference to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Adhikari said, “Only aunt and nephew are given security by police in the state.”

    Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also sought an update from Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi over Adhikari not being allowed to visit Howrah.

    “Chief Secretary @chief_west has been called to effect immediate response to the communication sent by Hon’ble Leader of Opposition. This in context of earlier curtailment of his rights is inappropriate. Why have undeclared emergency!” the governor tweeted, sharing an image of a letter earlier written by Adhikari to Dwivedi urging the administration not to prevent him from visiting damaged BJP party offices.

    In the letter, Adhikari wrote, “many BJP party offices in Howrah district have been vandalised and as the LoP, I will be visiting such vandalised offices alone. The question of violating Sec 144 of CrPC does not arise. I will hereby require your good office to ensure I am not prevented from visiting the vandalised party offices in Howrah.”

    Before leaving his home, Adhikari had said he would move the court on Monday if he was stopped from visiting vandalised BJP offices in Howrah district.

    His assertion came after Kanthi Police Station in Purba Medinipur district issued a letter asking him not to visit Howrah as prohibitory orders are clamped in several areas in the district.

    The letter, issued by the officer-in-charge of Kanthi Police Station, stated that concern over his security was the main reason for asking him not to visit parts of Howrah district where Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed.

    “I will visit our party offices in Howrah district that were ransacked. Police have asked me not to visit areas where Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed. But I will not violate prohibitory orders as I will go there alone.”

    “If I am stopped by the police, I will move the court tomorrow (Monday). An LoP can’t be stopped from visiting a trouble-torn area,” Adhikari said before leaving his Kanthi residence.

    “After putting BJP WB President Sukanta Majumdar under detention, Mamata Banerjee is now ensuring that LoP Suvendu Adhikari is not able to visit Howrah, where BJP offices have been gutted.

    Her entire focus is on the opposition, not on rampaging ‘Dudhel Gais’ (milch cows), as she calls them,” BJP’s West Bengal co-in charge Amit Malviya tweeted.

    Reacting to the development, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that Adhikari wanted to visit Howrah with the intention of fanning trouble.

    “What is the need for visiting areas where Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed? He wanted to visit Howrah to create trouble.

    The BJP wants to destroy the peaceful atmosphere in the state,” he said.

    State minister Sashi Panja said that Adhikari should cooperate with the state administration for maintenance of law and order.

    “Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC is already imposed in the areas Adhikari wanted to visit. He should not visit those places as it might cause trouble,” she said.

    Protests erupted in several parts of Howrah district on Friday over controversial remarks by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal on Prophet Mohammad.

    Agitators resorted to stone-pelting, setting police vehicles on fire and damaging public property during violent protests and clashes with the law enforcers in the district.

    Fresh violent protests were reported in Panchla on Saturday.

    Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been clamped in several areas of Howrah including Uluberia, Panchla and Domjur till June 15 and internet services have been suspended in the entire district till June 13 to prevent the spread of misinformation.

    A lawyer has filed a complaint against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma with the Contai police station, police said here on Sunday.

    Abu Sohel, who stated that he is a lawyer, filed the complaint through an e-mail dated June 11 to the inspector in charge of Contai police station in Purba Medinipur district.

    He sought that an FIR be registered against Sharma for her remarks.

    A senior officer of Contai police station said that the e-mail has been received.

    Sharma who made an objectionable statement about the Prophet during a TV debate on the Gyanvapi controversy was suspended by the saffron party after many Islamic countries raised objections to it.

  • Amid Prophet remarks row, two arrested in UP’s Bhadohi over ‘objectionable’, ‘inciting’ Facebook posts

    By PTI

    BHADOHI: Two people were arrested on Sunday in Bhadohi district on charges of ‘inciting religious sentiments’ through Facebook posts, police here said.

    According to Superintendent of Police Dr Anil Kumar, one Chaudhary Azhar, a resident of Suryawa Police Station area, had made some “caste-specific” posts on Facebook against Nupur Sharma after some people took out a procession in her support on Saturday.

    Durgesh Singh, the second accused, from Kotwali area, had also made a post on the same site “hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community,” he said.

    The SP said that police took note of the posts made by the two men and booked them under relevant sections.

    He also appealed to the general public to avoid making objectionable remarks on social media and maintain peace, warning them of “strict legal action” if they do otherwise.

    People in Gopiganj Police Station area of the district had taken out a procession in support of Nupur Sharma, a former spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, on Saturday evening.

    Police have registered an FIR against 46 people in this matter for violation of Section 144, the SP said.

    Eleven people have been named in this FIR and 35 are unidentified persons – all of whom are alleged to have participated in the procession.

    Police is in the process of initiating their arrest, the senior police officer added.

  • Mumbai police summons Nupur Sharma in case related to her remarks against Prophet Mohammad

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Mumbai Police has summoned suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma to record a statement on June 25 in connection with her objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad, an official said here on Saturday.

    A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Sharma at Pydhonie police station in the city earlier this week after her comments about the Prophet during a TV debate triggered a huge controversy.

    Police wanted to record her statement in the case and she has been asked to appear before the investigating officer at 11 am on June 25, the official said. Earlier, police had asked for a video of the debate from the concerned news channel.

    The BJP has suspended Sharma and expelled another leader, Naveen Jindal, who had tweeted similar comments.

  • Owaisi demands Nupur Sharma’s arrest, says violence should be shunned

    By PTI

    BHUJ: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma should be arrested for her controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad.

    While stating that nobody should indulge in violence over the issue nor should police take law in their hands, he accused the BJP of not taking timely action against Sharma after her comments during a TV debate triggered a huge controversy.

    “Nupur Sharma is not being arrested. As per the law, she should be arrested. She has not been arrested for so many days. Why don’t you arrest her and take legal action against her? Who is stopping you?” Owaisi asked, speaking to reporters here.

    The BJP’s action of suspending her for violating the party’s constitution did not resolve the issue, and one should “also think of the Indian Constitution,” the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief said.

    “Take action against her, arrest her as per the law. We demand that she be arrested and action be taken against her as per the law. Had BJP been serious, it would have told her then and there (that her statements were objectionable), but it took ten days to do so,” he said.

    Sharma’s apology over the remarks was not enough, Owaisi said. “We do not need an apology. Law should take its course,” he added.

    Asked about the violence reported from different cities during protests against Sharma’s remarks, including the incidents in Ranchi where two persons were killed in police firing, Owaisi said nobody should indulge in violence.

    “It is vital for democracy that there is no violence. It is the government’s responsibility to not allow violence and try its best to stop it. Police should also not take law in their hands. Yesterday, two people died in police firing in Ranchi. This should not happen,” said the Hyderabad MP.

    Asked about a statement by AIMIM’s Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel that Sharma should be “hanged” for her remarks, Owaisi said the party’s stand was clear that she should be arrested as per the law. “This is the party’s stand which everybody will have to follow,” he added.

    As to how many seats the party would be contesting in the Gujarat Assembly elections which are due this year, Owaisi said it was being worked out.

  • Bengal BJP president arrested on way to violence-hit Howrah; Governor appeals for peace

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: BJP’s West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar was arrested on Saturday afternoon when he tried to visit violence-hit Howrah district, police said.

    Majumdar, the MP of Balurghat in Uttar Dinajpur, was arrested near the toll plaza on Vidyasagar Setu, they said.

    “Mr Majumdar was trying to travel to Howrah where prohibitory orders under CrPC 144 have been clamped. His visit could have created a law and order situation. This is a preventive arrest,” a senior police officer told PTI.

    Violence rocked parts of Howrah on Friday following the inflammatory remarks of now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed.

    Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday expressed concern over the “worsening law and order” situation in the state, following protests in several parts of Howrah district.

    He asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to deal sternly with the problem and take action against lawbreakers.

    “Concerned at worsening law & order situation. Inaction @chief_west@WBPolice @KolkataPolice is unfortunate endorsement of the criminality of law violators. Appeal #MamataBanerjee to sternly deal with lawbreakers. All involved be identified and arrested,” Dhankhar wrote on Twitter.

    The situation in Howrah, which witnessed violent protests against controversial remarks of suspended BJP spokespersons, was peaceful on Saturday morning, officials said.

    Protesters clashed with police personnel in Dhulagarh, Panchla and Uluberia areas when law enforcers tried to end a blockade on a national highway stretch on Friday.

    They set police vehicles on fire and damaged public property during the agitations.

    Internet services have been suspended across the district till June 13 and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC imposed in several areas such as Uluberia, Domjur and Panchla till June 15.

    Commuters had to face problems as road and railway tracks were blocked by protesters in the district.

    Several local and express trains were cancelled due to the violence.

  • Stone pelting, protests in UP cities over Prophet remark; 136 arrested

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: People pelted stones at police personnel in Prayagraj and Saharanpur and protests broke out after Friday prayers in at least four other cities in Uttar Pradesh over a non-suspended BJP leader’s recent remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

    Police have arrested more than 130 people from six districts of the state.

    In Prayagraj, some motorcycles and carts were set on fire and an attempt was made to set ablaze a police vehicle. Police used tear gas and lathis to disperse mobs and peace was later restored, they said, adding that one policeman was hurt in the region.

    “As many as 136 protesting miscreants were arrested from six districts of the state till 9.45 pm on Friday,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said. He said 45 protesters were arrested from Saharanpur, 37 from Prayagraj, 23 people from Ambedkar Nagar, 20 from Hathras, seven from Moradabad, and four from Firozabad district.

    There was slogan-shouting against the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her remarks during a TV debate, which also triggered outrage in several Islamic nations.

    In Saharanpur, protesters demanded the death sentence for her. There were also protests in Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur and Lucknow over the controversial remarks. Sloganeering took place in Lucknow.

    According to the local people, stone pelting continued for over 15 minutes in Prayagraj. They said some of the miscreants pelted stones at the police personnel deployed on the main road and the situation escalated when more people joined the stone pelters.

    Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, “Minor force was used to stop some people involved in the violence. The situation in Prayagraj is now peaceful. I would like to appeal to people to use democratic ways of protest without resorting to violence.”

    Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police (DGP) D S Chauhan said no life has been lost because of the proper arrangements made by the state police. “Because of our preparedness, no life has been lost. We will take strict action against those found involved in the violence,” he said.

    Additional Director General (ADG), Parayagraj Zone, Prem Prakash said a constable of Rapid Action Force (RAF) was injured during stone pelting in the region. Additional police force and teams of RAF were rushed to the spot. The police also fired tear gas shells and used force to stop the miscreants, he said.

    In Saharanpur, people holding placards raised slogans against Nupur Sharma. Some of them also turned violent after the security personnel tried to stop them. This led to brief stone pelting in the Nehru market area of the city.

    Some madrasa students also raised slogans in the Deoband area. The protesters also raised slogans demanding capital punishment for the suspended BJP leader.

    District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh told PTI, “Police had to retort to force when the protesters refused to hear the appeals of peace by police personnel. The protestors are being identified using CCTV footage for further action.”

    Four people, including the district president of AIMIM, were arrested in Bijnor as a precautionary measure.

    Superintendent of Police Dharamveer Singh said AIMIM district chief Abdullah along with one Iftekhar, Mahroof and Akil were arrested for inciting communal hatred.

    According to the police, the accused called a gathering near Purani Musfi area in Bijnor. The arrests were made on the complaint of people from the Muslim community, the SP said.

    People demanded action against the BJP leader and waved banners with “Arrest Nupur Sharma” written on them in Rampur and Moradabad.

    In Kanpur, which was the epicentre of communal violence last week, the Friday prayers were held in a peaceful manner with no reports of any untoward incident. The prayers were held under a watertight security vigil by police personnel.

    A heavy police force was deployed in the area with senior police and administrative officials present on the spot. This comes following clashes last week in Kanpur over the remarks on the Prophet at a TV debate some days earlier.

    A high alert was issued across the state after that, and a heavy police force was deployed to ensure that violence does not occur again.

  • Prophet remark fallout: Don’t go to TV debates, Muslim personal law board tells Islamic scholars

    By Online Desk

    The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday appealed to Muslim scholars and Ulemas (Maulvis) not to participate in TV channel debates.

    “By participating in programs, they are not able to do any service to Islam and Muslims, but indirectly insult and ridicule Islam and Muslims,” the Muslim body said in an advisory.

    The @AIMPLB_Official has appealed to Islamic Scholars/Ulemas and Muslim Intellectuals not to participate in TV Channel debates. pic.twitter.com/ASgjUuDUG3
    — Muslim Spaces (@MuslimSpaces) June 10, 2022
    AIMPLB said that the Muslim Scholars and Ulemas should boycott those channels whose only objective is to ridicule Islam and Muslims. “If we boycott their programmes, not only their TRPs will fall but they will also miserably fail in their objectives,” AIMPLB said.

    The Muslim body added that participation in the TV debates does not serve Islam and Muslims. Rather, it indirectly insults and ridicules the sect.

    “The purpose of these programme is never to reach a conclusion through constructive debate. They invite a Muslim scholar only to prove their ‘fairness’ and our scholars and ulemas fall prey to their conspiracies,” the board said.

  • Video of Muslim women urging Mumbai police to arrest Nupur Sharma goes viral on social media

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The video of a group of Muslim women urging the Mumbai police to arrest suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad went viral on social media on Wednesday.

    The purported video was shot at Pydhonie police station in south Mumbai last week and was uploaded on a social networking site, a senior police official said. The video, which lasts less than a minute, shows the women asking the police officials to arrest Sharma for her remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

    The video shows some women saying that lack of action against Sharma could prompt other people to pass similar remarks.

    An FIR was registered against Sharma at Pydhonie Police Station on May 28 for her objectionable remarks.

    Mumbai police has sought a video of the TV debate, during which Sharma passed the remarks, from the news channel concerned. The city police are yet to summon Sharma to record her statement in connection with the case, the official said adding investigation is underway.

    The BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after a row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from some Muslim countries.

    Sharma’s comments, made in a TV debate nearly recently, and Jindal’s now-deleted tweets sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some Arab countries.

  • Alleged Al Qaida note threatens to avenge insult to the Prophet

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Amidst growing criticism and condemnation of the comments against the Prophet by a former BJP spokesperson,  a press note purportedly issued by the terrorist organisation Al Qaida has appeared on social media threatening violent retaliation to avenge the insult.

    “We warn every audacious and impudent foul mouth of the world that we shall fight for the dignity of the Prophet. The offenders of the Prophet shall find no amnesty or clemency, no peace and security will save them and this matter shall not close with any words of condemnation or sorrow,”  states the press note.

    Meanwhile, there were reports appearing on social media that suggested that Qatar Airways had stopped taking bookings of Indian passengers on their flights. However, senior officials from the ministry of civil aviation denied these reports and said that the airline was operating as normal. Qatar has 190 flights per week out of India and it’s not likely that they will take such a  step.

    ALSO READ | West Asian blowback can seriously hurt India’s economy

    More Muslim countries have now registered their protests against the derogatory statements on the Prophet. These include Indonesia, Maldives, Iraq, Malaysia, Libya, Turkey and Egypt. A total of 15 countries have so far voiced their displeasure, besides the OIC and GCC.

    It is learnt that the BJP has now issued instructions to its members to avoid speaking against any religion. The government has underlined that it treats all religions with respect. This is the communication that has been sent to some of the nations who had not just expressed their displeasure but also summoned the Indian envoy in their respective countries.

    “It is one of those episodes where the backlash was far more than one would have imagined, but it will also help others in India refrain from making such comments,” said an expert on Islamic politics.

    Meanwhile, India’s intelligence agencies have alleged Pakistan’s role in the anti-India hashtag on social media that led to this furore. They have verified 750 unique bot accounts who have run these anti-India campaigns with the backing of Pakistan’s PTI party.

    The day also saw the suspended BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, gain a supporter. Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, has gone ahead and termed the anger of the Islamic countries as ‘ridiculous’ stating India should not have apologised.

    Amidst all this hullabaloo, Iran’s foreign minister is in India to meet the External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar. This is the first visit of an OIC leader after the controversy around the comments began.