New Delhi: Hours after it denounced insult of any religious personalities, the BJP on Sunday suspended party spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal for their comments on Prophet Muhammad.
Sharma is party national spokesperson and Jindal is spokesperson and head of media department of BJP Delhi unit. In a letter to Sharma, member secretary, BJP Central Disciplinary Committee, Om Pathak said, “You have expressed views contrary to the Party’s position on various matters, which is in clear violation of Rule 10 (a) of 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 from your responsibilities/assignments if any, with immediate effect,” Pathak added.
In another letter to Jindal, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said, “The view expressed by you on social media to incite communal disharmony is against the basic thought of the party. You worked against party ideology and policy. Therefore, your primary membership of the party is cancelled with immediate effect and you’re also suspended from the party.”
Gupta said that there is no place for indiscipline in the party and no one is allowed to cross the party line. “It has come to our notice that Jindal has crossed the party line and tried to spread hatred and communal disharmony through his social media posts. We have cancelled his primary membership,” Gupta said.
Earlier in the day in a press statement, BJP national general secretary, Arun Singh said, “During 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 insults of any religious personality of any religion. 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.”
Singh noted that 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 75th 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, where all enjoy the fruits of growth and development,” Singh said.
Several FIRs have been filed against BJP national spokesperson Sharma in Maharashtra and violent clash erupted in Kanpur on June 3 after her remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate a few days earlier.
Meanwhile, after suspended over her remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a recent TV debate, former BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Sunday issued an apology and said she unconditionally withdraw her statement. She said that it was never her intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.
On Twitter Sharma wrote, “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.”
“I could not tolerate this continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev and I said some things in response to it. 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,” Sharma added.
In another tweet, Sharma said, “I request all media houses and everybody else not to make my address public. There is a security threat to my family.” Sharma had claimed that she has been getting threats for her remark.