In NEW DELHI: The party swiftly removed the representative from her position and said that it respected all religions in a statement. The top court in New Delhi ruled on Friday that a governing party spokesperson who made anti-Islamic statements that caused a diplomatic crisis for India and ignited mass protests should apologise for “setting the country on fire.”
The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been charged with promoting discriminatory laws against adherents of the Islamic faith ever since gaining national power in 2014. The administration, according to critics, has presided over a crackdown on advocates for free speech and human rights. Mohammed Zubair, a Muslim journalist and outspoken government critic who had helped bring Sharma’s remarks to light, was detained by authorities this week. He was detained on Monday and is still being held in connection with a four-year-old tweet about a Hindu divinity, which according to police was the subject of complaints from Hindu organisations.
