After Qatar and Kuwait, Iran has summoned the Indian Ambassador to Tehran over the statements made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against the last Prophet of Islam.
The Iranian Forein Ministry ahead of the Iranian Foreign Minister’s first-ever trip to New Delhi next week, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Indian ambassador to Tehran over what state media called “insult against Prophet of Islam in an Indian TV show.”
The outrage comes after Bharatiya Janta Pary (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma made hate comments against Prophet Mohammed, the last messenger of Islam, during a panel discussion on an Indian News Channel, Times Now, which has time and again run such shows spreading anti- Muslim hate.
A large number of people in the middle east including the Grand Mufti of Oman called out for a mass boycott of Indian products in the middle eastern markets after which Indian products were removed from several markets.
BJP, in power since 2014 in India, has been accused of being hand-in-glove with the right-wing-extremist groups which often attack the members and religious places of the minorities. The incidents have created an atmosphere of fear among the Muslims who form nearly 14 per cent of the total population in India.
There have been hundreds of incidents of mob lynching of Muslims, most of them targetted for alleged beef smuggling. Recently, anti- Muslim violence has seen a massive escalation and acceptance in India. In the month of April, scores of Muslims houses were burnt, vandalised, and Muslims assaulted for their religious identity. Karnataka, One of the BJP led states has recently banned Hijab inside the religious institutes, among other Anti-muslim policies.
“These policies are often given the name of good governance and equality before law,” experts believe, stating that, Such moves are only aimed at spreading an Anti-Muslim narrative in India. The ruling party has also tried to distance itself at times, however, in India the fact is not concealed anymore that the ruling party supports anti-muslim violence
In a statement released on Sunday, BJPs general secretary Arun Singh asserted, “tthe party is strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion, and it respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious personality”. “The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy”, he further said.
Former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, Omar Abdullah took to his Twitter and wrote,” There is a context to the BJP suddenly waking up to denounce “insult to any religious personalities of any religion” and it has nothing to do with having offended the sentiments of lakhs of Muslims in India. This apology of a statement is aimed at an international audience.”