Premium“Will you be happy if you kill me?” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked demonstrators who had been protesting against Nupur Sharma’s controversial statement on Prophet Muhammad.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while condemning Nupur Sharma’s remarks Prophet Muhammad, asked demonstrators to protest in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states and not in West Bengal.
Banerjee claimed that the BJP leaders' statements had degraded India's reputation around the world. She demanded that the “few disastrous BJP leaders’ be jailed promptly so that the country's unity was preserved and the general public was spared mental anguish.
"At the same time, I appeal to all my brothers and sisters from all castes, creeds, religions, and communities to maintain peace in the larger interest of the common people, despite the provocation which we so strongly condemn," Mamata Banerjee said in a Twitter post.
The West Bengal CM noted that road blockades were going on in some places and people were suffering. She requested protestors “on behalf of the common people to call off the blockades as nothing has happened in West Bengal".
“Go to New Delhi and protest, where there is a BJP government. Go to Gujarat and UP," Mamata Banerjee said.
“You are angry with the BJP, but are not getting them. Will you be happy if you kill me? I'm ready. But please don't take revenge on people.
When minorities are attacked, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo says the majority group should protest, and vice versa.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier said that India had to suffer humiliation as a result of Nupur Sharma’s statement. Nupur Sharma's remarks have drawn harsh criticism from Gulf countries. India, on the other hand, stated it had taken tough measures against people making divisive remarks about minorities.
“I could not tolerate this continuous insult and disrespect toward our Mahadev and I said some things in response to it. If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings," Nupur Sharma, now suspended from the BJP, earlier said in her defence.
Several Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran denounced Nupur Sharma’s comments.
(With agency inputs)