Row over Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Muhammad: Backlash was inevitable, says Hamid Ansari

Nupur Sharma Statement on Prophet Muhammad Updates: Hamid Ansari said that the backlash was ‘inevitable’. "This is not a matter of an individual. It affects a community of a particular faith... if it affects every Muslim on the globe then such a reaction is bound to happen. This is inevitable," he said.

BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad sparked a row. Nupur Sharma has been in the eye of the storm as her comments also attracted a letter from the Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) warning of suicide bombings in Indian cities to avenge the insult to the Prophet. The opposition stepped up pressure for legal action against the forer BJP spokeperson and demanded her arrest. Dismissing the saffron party's suspension of its spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and expulsion of its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal as mere "drama" and "sham", the opposition parties called for strict legal action against the two.  

Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari has said that the government's reaction to the controversy over the comments on the Prophet is not enough. "For the embassy to issue statements is not enough. It is not enough for the official spokesperson to issue a clarification. This should have been dealt with at an appropriate political level," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

Meanwhile, Iran has said that it is satisfied with the Indian government’s stance in connection with the incident. Abdollahian, who is on his first visit to India since he assumed office last year, raised the issue of the controversial remarks, made by two former BJP spokespersons, in his meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the national capital on Wednesday.

09 June 2022

17:48 IST

Hamid Ansari said that the backlash was ‘inevitable’. "This is not a matter of an individual. It affects a community of a particular faith... if it affects every Muslim on the globe then such a reaction is bound to happen. This is inevitable," he said.

17:27 IST

Amid global outrage over the Prophet Mohammad remark controversy, Iran has said that it is satisfied with the Indian government’s stance in connection with the incident. “Iran is satisfied with the efforts made by the Indian government in dealing with those responsible for derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad,’’ the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said, according to news agency ANI.