Opposition slams Modi govt over remarks against Prophet, says BJP 'defamed' India

Opposition on Monday pounded on the Narendra Modi government after the fall-out over controversial remarks made by its two spokespersons, saying the ruling BJP has been defaming India at the international level and it is unacceptable that the country has to apologise for its mistakes.

Congress demanded that the two BJP functionaries Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal be arrested for their offensive comments against the Prophet even as it joined other parties in describing the action taken against the leaders as something that was done to pacify the international community.

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "divided internally, India becomes weak externally. BJP’s shameful bigotry has not only isolated us but also damaged India’s standing globally."

AAP's Sanjay Singh said India is "insulted and disgraced" at an international level because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’s "hate-riddled politics", which brings "shame and mockery" to the country.

CPI(M) said, "Nupur Sharma publicly thanked party leaders Amit Shah, PMO and others for support. Now under pressure from other countries, they are forced to act and suspend her. These are patrons of hate speech. Condemn Isolate Defeat them. Save India."

Read | The rise and fall of Nupur Sharma

CPI General Secretary D Raja referred to the BJP and the government referring to the spokespersons who made the remarks as "fringe elements" and said, "what they said is not different from the RSS narrative of demonising minorities, which has been going on since 1925. Is the government declaring RSS a fringe organisation?"

"Instead of doing a drama of action against anti-social elements in the party who have defamed India at the international level, it should immediately arrest them," the Congress said.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said it was unacceptable that the nation has to apologise for the remarks made by BJP leaders, whom the ruling party described as "fringe elements".

Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh said, "Our dapper External Affairs minister got his spokesman to dismiss a US Government report on religious minorities in India as 'vote-bank politics in international relations. US allies in the Gulf are giving a reply."

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar were "not the original creators" of Islamophobia. "Remember, they were trying to be more loyal than the king..."Domestic criticism did not impel the BJP to act against the two spokespersons. It was only the international backlash that pushed the BJP to take action," he tweeted.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Priyanka Chaturvedi demanded that the BJP apologise to the nation. "Embarrassed our great nation and sent a terrible example of India’s traditional values of sarv dharm sama bhav for political benefits. The nation has had to say sorry to long-standing allies for the deeds of the BJP. The least BJP leadership can do is to apologise to the nation," she said.