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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Jun 17, 2022, 04:40 PM IST
The remarks made by former BJP leader Nupur Sharma sparked a massive controversy across the country and even attracted international condemnation. Now, the United States administration has also decided to issue an official comment on the matter.
The United States on Thursday issued an official statement condemning the remarks made by Sharma on Prophet Muhammad during a television news debate. The US administration also lauded the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for handling the situation regarding the controversial remarks.
As per AFP, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, “We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials and we were glad to see that the party publicly condemns those comments.”
He further added, “We regularly engage with the Indian government at senior levels on human rights concerns including freedom of religion or belief and we encourage India to promote respect for human rights.”
Former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma had made some objectionable comments against Prophet Muhammad during a TV news debate a few weeks ago, which attracted a lot of flak. Soon after, BJP media head Naveen Jindal also made similar remarks over a social media post.
The comments soon sparked a controversy across the nation, with the Muslim community expressing its discontent over Sharma’s words. Several countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia slammed India and BJP over the comments made by Nupur Sharma.
In a move to control the damage caused by the remarks against Prophet Muhammad, the ruling BJP suspended Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal from the party. This move was welcomed by Gulf countries, but several protestors in India demanded that Sharma be arrested for her comments.
Protests had erupted in as many as 14 states across India over the comments made by Nupur Sharma, with incidents of stone-pelting and arson being recorded in multiple cities.
In a report released by the United States a while back, the State Department noted concern over the human rights violations and religious violence in India. The report was dismissed by the Indian administration, which further slammed the US over the gun and racial violence in the country.
