Tuesday, Kangana Ranaut said that suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma was “entitled to her opinions.” This came as the politician was being criticised around the world for her controversial comments about the Prophet Mohammad. Sunday, the BJP suspended Sharma and kicked out Naveen Kumar Jindal, who was in charge of media for the Delhi branch of the party. This was because some Muslim countries were protesting what they said were derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammad.
In her Instagram Story, Ranaut also said that death threats against Sharma were wrong and asked people to go to court if they wanted Sharma to be held accountable for what she said during a TV debate almost 10 days ago.
“Nupur has a right to her opinions, and I see all kinds of threats against her. When Hindu gods are insulted, which happens almost every day, we go to court, so please do that instead of acting like a don,” the actor wrote.
“This isn’t Afghanistan. Our government works well, and it was chosen through a process called democracy. Just a reminder for people who always forget, “she said.
A few hours before Ranaut’s statement, the Delhi Police gave Sharma and her family protection after she said she was getting threats and being harassed because of what she said.
In response to protests by Muslim groups and harsh responses from countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and Iran, the BJP released a statement saying that it respects all religions and strongly condemns insults to religious leaders.
In tweets that have since been deleted, Sharma and Jindal said things that led to a trend on Twitter calling for the Arab world to stop buying Indian goods.
Monday night, actor Swara Bhasker shared a tweet from Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The tweet condemned the offensive comments about Prophet Mohammad and stressed how important it is to respect all religions.
“Oh hey @NupurSharmaBJP @navikakumar @TimesNow! Hope you are happy that your hateful actions have brought India shame around the world.” In her post on the microblogging site, Bhasker said the following.
Sharma completely took back her controversial statement after being kicked out of the Centre party. She said that she said what she did because Lord Shiva was being insulted and treated badly all the time.
Richa Chadha questioned whether Sharma’s decision to take back what she said could even be seen as an apology. “Is it even an apology if it was forced out of them?” asked Chadha.