Team News Riveting
New Delhi, June 5
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday suspended party spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled her colleague Naveen Kumar Jindal over their comments on Prophet Muhammad.
The statement of BJP leaders had provoked a massive backlash and violence. After the sharp criticism from the Arab countries, the BJP that is in power in the Centre said it “strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities”.
“During the thousands of years of the history of India, every religion has blossomed and flourished. The Bharatiya Janata Party respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion,” the party said in a statement earlier in the day. “The Bharatiya Janata Party is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy,” it added.
Later in the day, BJP issued orders suspending Nupur Sharma, pending an inquiry and expelled Naveen Kumar Jindal from the primary membership of the party. While Nupur Sharma was a national spokesperson for the party, Naveen Jindal led the party’s Delhi media unit.
Soon after the suspension, Nupur Sharma posted a statement on Twitter in Hindi. “I had been appearing on TV debates where Lord Shiva was being insulted every day. In anger, I said something. If my words have hurt anyone’s religious sentiments, I withdraw them. My intention was not to hurt anyone,” she said.
