By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, June 06
BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma who had racked up controversy due to her allegedly derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad in a recent TV debate, was suspended from the party by the BJP’s Central Disciplinary Committee on Sunday.
Sharma has been suspended for expressing views contrary to the party’s position on various matters, in violation of Rule 10 (a) of the Constitution of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Om Pathak, Member Secretary, Central Disciplinary Committee said.
In a letter dated June 05, addressed to Sharma, Pathak stated that “You have expressed views contrary to party’s position on various matters, which is in clear violation of Rule 10 (a) of the Constitution of the Bharatiya Janata Party. I have been directed to convey to you that pending further inquiry, you are suspended from the party and your responsibilities /assignments if any, with immediate effect”.
Besides Sharma, the BJP also removed Delhi BJP media in-charge, Naveenkumar Jindal, from the primary membership of the party, due to his tweet about the Prophet, which he later deleted amid rising outrage.
Delhi unit president Adesh Gupta expelled Jindal. Gupta in his letter said Jindal’s opinion was contradictory to the party’s original ideology. “You have worked against the party’s ideology and policies,” said the letter. Jindal’s primary membership of the BJP has been terminated with immediate effect and he has been expelled from the party, Gupta said.
Jindal had come under attack on social media over his tweet referring to the Prophet Mohammad on June 01. He said he had tweeted asking a question to those attacking and insulting Hindu deities and it was not aimed at hurting the religious sentiments of any community.
Whereas Arun Singh, National General Secretary, and Headquarter-in-Charge, in a statement issued on Sunday said that “ During thousands of years of the history of India every religion has blossomed and flourished. The BJP respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insults of religious personalities of any religion”.
The BJP is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such a person or philosophy. India’s constitution gives the right to every citizen to practice any religion of his/her choice and to honour and respect every religion. As India celebrates the 75 th year of its Independence, we are committed to making India a great country where all are equal and everyone lives with dignity, where all are committed to India’s unity and integrity, and where all enjoy the fruits of growth and development”.
Soon after Sharma’s controversial remarks, Muslim groups across the country have been holding protests demanding action against Sharma. The first case was filed at the Pydhonie police station in South Mumbai by Raza Academy. Subsequently, the cases were filed against her in Hyderabad, Pune, and other places accusing her of hurting religious sentiments.
The remarks triggered large-scale violence in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh on Friday, injuring around 40 people. The violence led to arson during the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Kanpur rural for an official function in the native village of the President.
In another development, Qatar and Kuwait summoned India’s envoys and gave them protest notes over the controversial remarks even as the envoys stated that the remarks were the “views of fringe elements.” Besides some of the Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain called out for a boycott of Indian products from their superstores on social media, reports said.
Sharma withdraws her remarks:
After her suspension from the party, Sharma unconditionally withdrew the controversial statement made in a TV debate. In a tweet, Sharma said it was never her intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings. She claimed that her comments were a reaction to “continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev”’ (Lord Shiva) as she could not tolerate it.
In a statement posted on Twitter, she said, “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. The Shivling was also being ridiculed by comparing it to roadside signs and poles in Delhi”.
She was referring to the recent discovery by Hindu groups claiming a Shivling at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. She added, “If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.”
However, some of the BJP workers described the action against Sharma and Jindal as harsh. Mumbai-based BJP activist Dayanand Nene in a FB post said that “This is called leaving karyakartas (party workers) in the lurch. I mean this is like abandoning her and making her more vulnerable to attacks from Islamist zealots. A most unfortunate and extremely harsh decision. Social media activists will have to be very careful henceforth”.
