Days after BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma remarked on Prophet Mohammed, the Indian government faced a severe backlash from several countries. A branch of the militant organization Al-Qaeda in the subcontinent, issued a letter of warning threatening to carry out suicide bombings in various cities of India.
The Islamist militant group Al-Qaeda(a branch in the Indian subcontinent- AQIS) issued a warning to India over anti-Muslim remarks by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed. The militant group threatened and said, “The saffron terrorists should now await their end in Delhi, Bombay, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.”
The letter’s circulation forced India to tighten its public security on Wednesday. The letter also threatened to carry out suicide bombings in Indian states to defend the honor of the Holy Prophet(peace be upon him). A home ministry official passed orders to avoid protests and public gatherings. Further, the letter is checked for its authenticity by the federal home ministry.
India under the radar:
Sparking an uproar across the nations, leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan summoned the Indian envoy. They demanded an apology from the Indian government. The Organization of Islamic Corporation(OIC) stated that the atmosphere in India is increasingly intense questioning the condition of the Muslim minority.
Facing severe backlash from the Islamist nations, BJP released a statement informing, “The Bhartiya Janata Party is also strongly against an ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy”.
The derogatory comments by Nupur Sharma caused a domestic outrage across the nation resulting in various anti-Muslim protests. A BJP youth leader in Uttar Pradesh with 50 others who took part in the riots was arrested. While Sharma was suspended from the party, other BJP spokespersons were instructed to be “extremely cautious” about their religious remarks on social media. The party issued fresh guidelines to its spokespersons who appear on TV debates to not speak against any religion. Another BJP member Naveen Jindal was also suspended for his controversial remarks on Twitter. Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case under the premise of spreading hate and mongering. Both Jindal and Sharma sought police protection after receiving death threats from strangers online.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi commented against the Al-Qaeda’s suicide attacks and saying ‘Hindutvadis should know that Islam rejects terrorism’. Further he mentioned that terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda are not needed to defend the dignity of Prophet Mohammed.
In support of Nupur Sharma:
Extending support to Nupur Sharma for her statements, Dutch far-right politician Geet Wilders called Sharma’s actions “heroic” In one of his tweets, Wilders called out the Islamist nation’s backlash as “ridiculous”. The Dutch MP received death threats for supporting Nupur Sharma in her comments on the Prophet Muhammad. Despite the death threats, Walters hurled at the Al-Qaeda threats and said, “Never give in to Islamic terrorists like Al-Qaeda, they represent barbarism”. Further, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut supported Sharma and stated that Nupur was entitled to her opinions and despised all threats targeting her. She also said that we are not Afghanistan, and a well-functioning government is in the place chosen through democracy.
The Narendra Modi-led BJP government is under the radar for issues concerning the Muslim minority community in India. Starting from the freedom of worship, the Azaan controversy, and the Hijab row, the national political party is accused of targeting and harassing the Muslim community. The current issue can challenge Modi as the prime minister maintains a strong relationship with the Arab nations. However, the Muslim rights groups consider that the views expressed by the influential world leaders can help the ruling party in India change its attitude
