Nupur Sharma
'Respect decision': Nupur Sharma on suspension by BJP over Prophet Muhammad row
New Delhi/IBNS: Nupur Sharma, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson who was suspended after her derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad set off a huge international row, on Tuesday said she respects her party's decision.
"Respect and accept its (the party's) decision," she was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India this evening.
In a tweet, Nupur Sharma had earlier stated that her comments, made during a television debate, were in response to "insults" made against Lord Shiva and that they were not to hurt any religious sentiments.
"I have been attending TV debates for the past many days where out Mahadev was being insulted and disrespected continuously," she wrote in a Twitter post on June 5.
"I could not tolerate this continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadav and I said some things in response to it. If my words have caused discomfort or hurt any religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement," she had said.
"It was not my intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings," she had added.
— Nupur Sharma (@NupurSharmaBJP) June 5, 2022
On Sunday, the BJP suspended her and sacked its Delhi media unit head Naveen Jindal days after their remarks on the Prophet went viral on social media, causing outrage.
The BJP had stated that 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 had 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 had said.
A BJP leader was, meanwhile, arrested on Tuesday for alleged derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad, four days after violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur over the same.
The BJP has also laid down strict guidelines for its spokespersons and leaders who will be the face of the party on media.
So far 15 Islamic countries have condemned her controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad, with the UAE being the latest to have issued a statement.
The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry condemned statements by the spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, expressing its denunciation and rejection of insults of the Prophet Muhammad.
Maldives and Indonesia too joined in condemning the remarks on Monday.
India’s ambassadors to Kuwait, Qatar and Iran were summoned on Sunday to receive official notes of protest over the comments.
The list of Middle Eastern countries issuing condemnations includes Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Qatar and also the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.
Pakistan, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the OIC have also condemned the remarks.
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