New Delhi: Demanding the arrest of now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma for her remarks on Prophet Mohammad, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday (June 11) condemned the violence that erupted in several parts of the country a day earlier during protests over the controversial statements. Accusing the BJP of not taking timely action against Sharma, Owaisi said she should be arrested as per the law and asked why was she not apprehended yet. "Nupur Sharma is not being arrested. As per the law, she should be arrested. She has not been arrested for so many days. Why don't you arrest her and take legal action against her? Who is stopping you?" Owaisi asked reporters in Gujarat’s Bhuj.
The AIMIM chief said suspending Sharma from the BJP was not enough and said if the saffron party was serious, it would have told her earlier that her comments were objectionable, however, the party took around ten days to take action against her. “Sharma's apology over the remarks was not enough, Owaisi said. "We do not need an apology. Law should take its course," PTI quoted him as saying.
PM Modi didn't listen to what I said in a speech in Bhiwandi 2-3 days after Nupur Sharma made those comments, but he immediately swung into action the moment foreign countries started reacting: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in Bhuj pic.twitter.com/tCJQuHXXQg
— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2022
In reaction to AIMIM’s Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel’s comment that Nupur Sharma should be "hanged" for her objectionable remarks on the Prophet, Owaisi said the party's stand was clear that she should be arrested as per the law, adding that everybody will have to follow this stance.
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Meanwhile, the Delhi police has booked Asaduddin Owaisi and 31 others, including controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand and former Delhi BJP media unit head Naveen Kumar Jindal over alleged hate speech. Reacting to the FIR against him, Owaisi said on June 9 that the Delhi police are suffering from ‘both sideism’ or ‘balance-waad’ syndrome. The Delhi police has also filed a separate case against former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma whose remarks in a TV debate on Prophet Mohammad led to a global outcry.
(With agency inputs)
