ISLAMABAD: Hours after Pakistan condemned India for using “brute force” against Muslims denouncing members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for making offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Indian authorities on Sunday continued their crackdown against demonstrators while making more arrests across the country.
India had to deal with international condemnations from Muslim-majority countries after Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokeswoman, made insulting comments about the Prophet’s domestic life during a TV debate. Another BJP spokesman, Naveen Jindal, also issued similar statements on social media.
Security personnel patrols on a street after violence erupted between police and protestors over a comment on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Nupur Sharma, in Howrah on the outskirts of Kolkata, India, June 11, 2022. (REUTERS)
The BJP said it had suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal from the party after the backlash from Muslim nations, denouncing “insult of any religious personalities of any religion.”
However, protests continued in India where Muslims took to streets to raise their voice against the remarks made by Sharma and Jindal. Clashes erupted when police shot dead two protesters in the eastern city of Ranchi after a demonstration that followed a Friday prayer congregation.
“Clashes over the remarks simmered across the country, as some in the minority Muslim community see them as the latest instance of pressure and humiliation under BJP rule on issues ranging from freedom of worship to the wearing of hijab head scarves,” international news agency Reuters reported.
Pakistan responded to the developments in India in a statement issued on Saturday night, condemning its handling of the public protests.
“The footage of Indian forces unabashedly opening fire on unarmed protesters in Ranchi city is horrific beyond belief,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
“It is alarming that despite the global condemnation of the BJP officials’ sacrilegious remarks, the Indian government’s reaction has been muted,” the statement continued while maintaining that Indian authorities had “chosen to handle public protest with brutal and indiscriminate use of force.”
The foreign office urged India to take action against the two former BJP leaders while asking the international community to take cognizance of the developments taking place in that country.
