Hindu activists, academics condemn BJP's blasphemous remarks

Professor says ridicule of Muslims had become commonplace; extremist Hindus, especially RSS, were openly doing so

LAHORE:

As Muslims across the world protest the blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by two leaders – Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal – of the extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), progressive Hindus have also come forth to condemn the Islamophobic statements.

According to Delhi University Professor Aupuravanand, anti-Muslim hatred was rampant in India for many years, but when the BJP government came into power, steps were taken by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to harm Muslims.

“In particular, to hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslims, the holy book of the Muslims, the Holy Qur'an, was desecrated, and the Prophet (PBUH) of Islam was targeted,” he said.

He maintained that in India, the ridicule of Muslims had become commonplace and extremist Hindus, especially the RSS, were openly doing so.

The professor added that when Nupur Sharma made her blasphemous statement, the government should have taken immediate action but instead they acted reluctantly.

He further said that an FIR was lodged after protests from Muslim countries but that neither BJP leader had been arrested so far.

“Protests are gaining momentum inside the country. The government is working to add fuel to the fire as protesting Muslims are being arrested,” he stated.

Rahul Kapoor, a young Indian social activist, told The Express Tribune that law enforcement agencies said that the decision to arrest Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal should be taken by the government.

He questioned if the police’s job was to simply open fire on protesters, arrest them and demolish their homes.

Social activist Aafreen Fatima's house was demolished and hundreds of cases have been registered against Muslims and arrests have been made while protests are on the rise.

Professor Aupuravanand said that India's reputation had been affected all over the world and that the issue of the Gyan Vapi Mosque in Banaras was ongoing.

Read Rally in Bangladesh slams India’s leaders for blasphemy, anti-Muslim policies

He further said that those who believed that the Supreme Court's verdict on Babri Masjid in 1991 had opened a new avenue of controversy.

“Although the Act was passed in 1991, the status of places of worship belonging to different religions in India on August 15, 1947, will not be changed. Now, despite this law, how can people claim that the ancient and historical Gyan Vapi Mosque is a Shiva temple; they are trying to prove that a fountain is Hindu Shivalinga,” he added.

Young social leaders in India, Ravi Nitish and others have also sided with Muslims, condemning the BJP leaders' blasphemous statements.

They said that thousands of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christian youth were on the side of Muslims and demanded the arrest of the BJP leaders.

“If the fire in the country is not stopped, then a war will break out in the name of religion across the country, which will be very difficult to stop”.

Meanwhile, the head of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Sardar Amir Singh also condemned the blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in India and said that Muslims and Sikhs in India must unite and fight against Hindu extremists.

“Hindu extremists have desecrated Sikh holy places and made the land too narrow for Muslims as well,” he said.