Mumbra Police summon suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma

Two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suspended party spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Naveen Jindal for making derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim community, the Mumbra Police Tuesday summoned Sharma on June 22 to record her statement over her controversial remarks.

Sharma was suspended from the party’s primary membership for her anti-Islam remarks in a television debate end May. The BJP had, in 2015 Delhi Assembly elections fielded her from New Delhi constituency against Aam Admi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal. She had lost.
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The criticism grew on Monday as the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives, counted among India’s closest partners, joined criticism from the Islamic world against remarks on the Prophet by Sharma and Jindal. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation joined Qatar, Kuwait and Iran, which had summoned Indian envoys Sunday, in condemning the remarks.

On Sunday, BJP General Secretary Arun Singh had in a statement sought to emphasise that the party “respects all religions” without referring to Sharma and Jindal. “The BJP strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities of any religion. The Bharatiya Janata Party is also against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy,” Singh’s statement said.