Saudi, Iran, Qatar And Kuwait Fume Over Controversial Remarks On Prophet Muhammad | Top Developments

BJP suspended Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal from the party’s primary membership and clearly stated that the party is strongly against any ideology, which insults or demeans any sect or religion.

Women from the Muslim community shout slogans during their protest against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her alleged remarks on Prophet Mohammad

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Controversial statements made by spokespersons of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Prophet Mohammed and Islam have invited wrath from the Arab world with New Delhi’s envoys to Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran being summoned on Sunday demanding an apology over the incident. Saudi Arabia too has officially objected to the comments. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party, which insult the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. (sic),” a tweet by the Foreign Ministry read. 

Here are the top developments

• Qatar’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned Indian envoy Deepak Mittal to Doha and handed over to him an official note on what the Gulf country called “total rejection and condemnation” of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet Mohammed. The retaliation from Qatar comes amid Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu's meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani on Sunday. Naidu had reached Doha in the last leg of his three-nation tour including Gabon and Senegal from May 30 to June 7.
• Kuwait also demanded a "public apology for these hostile statements, the continuation of which would constitute a deterrent measure or punishment to increase extremism and hatred and undermine the elements of moderation".
• In Tehran, the Indian ambassador to Iran Dhamu Gaddam was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director-General of South Asia on Sunday evening where a strong protest was registered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. The controversy has erupted ahead of Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian's visit to India next week.  
• The controversial remarks have also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.
• Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday suspended Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal from the party’s primary membership. The order in this regard was issued by the BJP Central Disciplinary Committee. Jindal has been terminated from the BJP’s primary membership “for expressing thoughts of communal disharmony on social media”, ANI reported.
• The ruling party had already distanced itself from the controversial comments allegedly made by Sharma against Prophet Mohammed. BJP national general secretary Arun Singh in a statement said the party is strongly against any ideology, which insults or demeans any sect or religion.
• After the action, Sharma unconditionally withdrew her controversial statement made in the TV debate and claimed that her comments were a reaction to “continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev”‘ (Lord Shiva). Both the leaders said it was never their intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.
• Jindal who had also posted objectionable tweets, deleted later, has been accused of often posting inciting comments. After BJP's decision, he responded by saying 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.
• Sharma’s comment during a TV debate last week, purportedly insulting the Prophet, had triggered a huge outcry and protests from the Muslim groups. Two cases were earlier filed against Nupur Sharma in Mumbai under the same set of legal provisions.
• On Friday, at least 40 people, including 20 police personnel, were injured during clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur city over a call to shut down markets following the controversial remarks made by Sharma. President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were at a function, around 80 kilometres away from the spot when the clashes broke out in Kanpur.

(With inputs from PTI)