Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI—While suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s unholy comments about Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and his wife Ayesha in the last week of May attracted international condemnation, she has also found support from a large section of the Hindu community within India and the Hindu diaspora outside the country. In fact, India was never split so much on any religious issue as it is divided today.
The episode seems to have caused vertical split between Hindus and Muslims and also created a sense of insecurity among Muslims, particularly owing to allegedly illegal actions of demolition of houses of Muslim activists in several UP towns and arbitrary arrests of protesters demanding arrest of Nupur Sharma.
After 1947, many incidents involving religious disputes between Hindus and Muslims had taken place in the country. But the Hindu community had always avoided passing indecent comments about Prophet Mohammad. A vast section of Hindu community, including intellectuals, academicians, religious seers and saints and even commoners, gave reverence to the Prophet in their speeches and writings. However, the way a section of Hindu political class, intellectuals, particularly youths and religious people, seers and sants, and radical outfits like Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have extended their open support to the blasphemous language of Nupur Sharma online and offline, is astounding and extremely shocking. Passing disparaging remarks against a religious personality and the support to such verbal abuses was inconceivable in multi-religious India earlier. People tolerated and respected each other’s religion and their religious personalities.
What is more shocking is that an organization by the name of the Kashi Dharma Sansad at a meeting in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, firmly backed Nupur Sharma. None of the 16 resolutions passed by the Sansad condemned the blasphemous words of Nupur Sharma.
Kashi Dharma Sansad takes out rally in favour of Nupur Sharma
The Sansad threatened to come out in streets in support of Nupur Sharma. The seers also took a march on main roads of the Varanasi city declaring their support to Nupur Sharma. They also called on the government to boycott Muslim countries who are bringing pressure on the government to take action against Nupur Sharma.
Hindu youths in Bhadohi, a carpet manufacturing town, 60 km from Varanasi, also took out a procession in support of Nupur Sharma despite Section 144 being in force.
Over 200 Hindu saints gathered in religious town of Haridwar expressing support for Nupur Sharma. They said it was for the court to decide whether Nupur Sharma’s comments amounted to hate speech or not.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s youth wing Bajrang Dal has announced to hold demonstrations at each and every district headquarters in the country to support the stand of Nupur Sharma on June 16. On June 14, Bajrang Dal activists recited Hanuman Chalisa in front of most of the temples in national capital to oppose the Muslim organizations demanding arrest of Nupur Sharma.
Several BJP MPs, leaders support Nupur Sharma
Controversial BJP MP Pragya Thakur from Bhopal, in her support to Nupur Sharma, said, “If telling the truth is a rebellion, then consider me as a rebel.”
Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir, Lok Sabha BJP MP from East Delhi, also voiced his support for Nupur Sharma. In a tweet, he condemned the silence of “liberals” on death threat to Nupur Sharma over her blasphemous comments. BJP rabble-rouser Kapil Sharma has also defended Nupur Sharma on the episode. Veteran BJP leader Uma Bharati also voiced her support for the suspended BJP spokesperson.
In a tweet, actress Kangana Ranaut said that Nupur Sharma is entitled to her opinions while supporting her blasphemous outbursts. She has justified Nupur Sharma saying that Hindu gods in India are insulted every day. But the fact is that Muslims never use derogatory language for Hindu religious personalities or symbols worshipped by Hindus. The Holy Quran strong prohibits Muslims to revile the religious personalities or symbols worshipped by non-Muslims all over the globe. This is religious tolerance taught by the Quran which is very important for co-existence of people belonging to different faiths. Indian Muslims don’t support blasphemy against other religions, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism or any other religion.
Noted lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani has also defended Nupur Sharma, saying she made an “insensitive statement under provocation”. Such a statement coming from one of the top lawyers in the country is really disappointing. This means that making blasphemous statements under extreme provocation is justified.
Despite several FIRs registered against Nupur Sharma in Maharashtra and other states, police have not taken action against her.
Thousands of Hindus took out rallies in several cities of neighbouring Nepal, including capital Kathmandu, in favour of Nupur Sharma. Participants raised Jai Shri Ram and other slogans.
