Bengal BJP leader Tathagata Roy, who has served as Tripura's governor, on Monday said that he is “saddened” by the “treatment” of party spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Mentioning that he is an “ordinary member and supporter of BJP”, Roy said that he has “nothing to fear or expect” from the party. “I am now an ordinary member and supporter of BJP. Still. So I have nothing to fear or expect from the BJP. I support BJP because it is the closest to my thinking on questions of ideology, religion, politics and leadership. That said, I am saddened by the treatment of Nupur Sharma,” he wrote on Twitter.
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The BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their alleged controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad that have triggered massive protests and condemnation.
Sharma made the controversial remarks against the Prophet during a TV news debate show over the Gyanvapi Mosque issue in Varanasi. Her remarks also triggered violent clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Friday.
{{/usCountry}}Sharma made the controversial remarks against the Prophet during a TV news debate show over the Gyanvapi Mosque issue in Varanasi. Her remarks also triggered violent clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Friday.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP spokesperson's remarks have caused a backlash from overseas where Twitter users from West Asian countries - including Kuwait, Iran, and Qatar - have demanded a boycott of products that are made in India.
Saudi Arabia also joined the objection to Nupur Sharma's comments on Monday. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party, which insult the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. (sic),” read a tweet by the foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, Nupur Sharma issued an apology on Sunday for her comments shortly after being suspended from the BJP. Stating that her intention was “not to hurt anyone”, Sharma in a tweet in Hindi said, “I could not tolerate the repeated insults made against Lord Shiva and I said some things in rage. I take back my words if they have hurt anyone's religious sentiments."