The Indian envoy was called by the Qatari government today, amid mounting domestic and international outrage over various BJP leaders’ statements about Prophet Muhammad. Although the party has taken action against Nupur Sharma and her colleague Naveen Kumar Jindal, it has failed to calm the ruffled tempers in Arab countries, where calls for a boycott of Indian goods and films have swamped social media with trending hashtags.
Earlier today, Ambassador Deepak Mittal met with Qatari officials at the Foreign Office, where they expressed their displeasure with Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal’s remarks.
The Indian Embassy in Qatar said in a statement that the Ambassador had conveyed that the “Tweets do not represent the views of the Indian government in any way. These are the viewpoints of the periphery “.
“The Government of India offers the utmost respect to all religions, in keeping with our civilisational legacy and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity. Those who made the insulting statements have already faced severe consequences “Read the statement carefully.
Ms Sharma made a remark during a TV discussion last week that Muslim organisations interpreted as an insult to the Prophet. Mr Jindal’s rage erupted after he sent a tweet criticising the Prophet.
Earlier today, the BJP, which expelled Mr Jindal and suspended Nupur Sharma, released a forceful statement, stating that it is “concerned” about the situation and “vehemently opposed to any philosophy that insults or denigrates any sect or religion. The BJP does not support such individuals or ideologies “.
“As India celebrates the 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,” the statement added.
