As the comments made by Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad drew international condemnation, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "needs to step in to prevent the poison from growing". Speaking with NDTV, the 'Gehraiyaan' actor appealed to the PM to "knock some good sense into these people".
"I would appeal to the PM to knock some good sense into these people. If what he believes is what was said at the (Haridwar) Dharma Sansad, he should say so and if not, he should say so," Shah said. "I wish that the hatemongers that the PM follows on Twitter…He has to do something. He needs to step in to prevent the poison from growing."
Shah also slammed the government's move of stating that the remarks on Prophet Mohammad are those of the "fringe elements". "The lady (Sharma) is not a fringe element. She is a national spokesperson," he said.
Meanwhile, amid many Islamic countries expressing their displeasure to the Indian government over the controversial comments, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said India's strength of coexistence of various communities cannot be harmed by any narrow-minded communal conspiracy, with its commitment to "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" ensuring that the followers of all religions flourish in an environment of equality, freedom and inclusivity.
Equal rights, dignity and prosperity of the minorities, including Muslims, is a part of the country's commitment to tolerance, harmony and inclusivity, Naqvi told reporters.
