Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, in a subtle critique of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, reportedly called his “violent Hindus” remark a “conspiracy.” The Supreme Court had harshly criticised Sharma while not reprimanding the Muslim fact-checker, Mohammad Zubair, whose edited video led to Muslims calling for Sharma’s beheading.
Nupur Sharma was suspended from the BJP in 2022 for her remarks about Mohammed, the founder of Islam, which sparked violence in India and around the world, including incidents where Muslims attacked Hindus.
At a recent event in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, a video of Nupur Sharma surfaced on social media where she said, “When high-ranking individuals claim Hindus are violent, or when others suggest ‘Sanatanis’ should be eradicated, it reveals a conspiracy.” In the video, she recalls the controversy that led to her suspension and the Supreme Court’s censure, stating, “What I have seen over the past two years are attempts to eliminate Sanatanis. If Hindus were violent, a Hindu daughter wouldn’t need heavy security in her own country… The country will be governed by its Constitution, not Sharia law.”
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On 1 July, following Gandhi’s remark, Nupur Sharma posted on social media, “Not violent Hindus but those who talk about the genocide of Hindus. Righteousness kills when killed Righteousness protects when protected Therefore, religious principles should not be killed. That is, whoever turns away from his religion (Hindu) and destroys religion, is destroyed by religion. He who protects righteousness, righteousness protects him.”
Congress’s Rahul Gandhi had said in the parliament, “Jo apne aap ko Hindu kahte hain, who 24 ghanta… hinsa, hinsa, hinsa; nafrat, nafrat nafrat, asatya, asatya, asatya… (Those who call themselves Hindu are violent, haters and liars all the time)”.
When Prime Minister Modi protested, Gandhi said the prime minister, the BJP or the RSS do not represent the entire Hindu community.
On 4 July, Gandhi sharply criticised the BJP, a party that the mainstream media believes is the Hindu voice in Indian politics, asserting that Hinduism is non-violent and resilient; it does not spread fear, hatred and falsehoods.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday condemned Gandhi, saying people will not forgive him for centuries. During a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, Modi stated, “People will not forgive (them) for centuries… The Hindu is tolerant. A conspiracy was hatched to falsely accuse Hindus. It was said that Hindus are violent. This reflects your character, thinking and hatred.”
Nupur Sharma had made remarks based on an authenticated Hadith about the life of the founder of Islam (specifically that he married a minor girl among others) during a news channel debate in July 2022, causing nationwide outrage. Several Muslim countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, objected. The BJP suspended Sharma and issued a statement emphasising its respect for all religions and condemning insults to any religious figure.
Nupur Sharma was charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between groups) and 505(2) (statements conducive to public mischief). The controversy led to several violent incidents, including the beheading of a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur who supported Sharma.
As Nupur Sharma sought the Supreme Court’s intervention over death threats, the court called her “single-handedly responsible” for the unrest in the country. The bench remarked that her “loose tongue” had “set the entire country on fire” and held her accountable for the unfortunate incident in Udaipur. The court insisted that she apologise to the entire country.
Around the same time, the BJP government sent its emissaries, NSA Ajit Doval a prominent one among them, to West Asian countries, trying to pacify them. Doval told Iran among other Islamic states that Nupur Sharma would be served exemplary punishment which she would remember all her life.
While a litigant dragged Zubair to the court too, the Supreme Court dealt with him leniently, granting him bail promptly.
