The BJP on Sunday suspended its leader Nupur Sharma from the party’s membership pending further investigation and expelled another leader, Naveen Kumar Jindal, for not toeing the official line on sensitive matters. Soon, Islamic countries like Iran, Qatar, and Kuwait summoned Indian envoys over the controversial remarks made by Sharma.
The move came after Sharma made alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a television interview, while Jindal had come under attack on social media over his tweet referring to the Prophet on June 1. But the official statement against the two leaders did not, however, mention any incident or comment related to the Prophet or that Sharma’s remarks had drawn protests from Muslim groups.
Both leaders apologized and said their comments were not aimed at hurting religious sentiments, but the saffron party’s action against the two is being seen as an attempt to rein in spokespersons who create uninvited controversy.
