Nupur Sharma on Sunday issued a clarification on her allegedly derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a television debate on the Gyanvapi mosque issue. She said she was upset with the continuous 'insult and disrespect' of Lord Shiva. The claim that the Shivling reportedly found inside the mosque was a fountain, had irked her.
"I have been attending TV debates for the past many days where our Mahadev was being insulted and disrespected continuously. It was mockingly being said that it is not Shivling but a fountain. Shivling was being ridiculed by comparing it to roadside signs and poles in Delhi," Sharma said in a statement on Twitter.
She said she would withdraw her statement if it hurt anybody's religious sentiments. She said it was not her intention to hurt someone's religious feelings. Elaborating on the statement, she said she could not tolerate what she called insult and disrespect "towards our Mahadev".
"I could not tolerate this continuous insult and disrespect towards 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," she added.
The BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma from the party's primary membership saying she had expressed views contrary to its official position on various matters. After the suspension, Sharma appealed to media houses to not divulge information regarding her address as there was a security threat against her family.
Sharma's remarks against Prophet Muhammad had triggered violence in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on June 3. The police have arrested around 29 people and booked 1,000 others for rioting.
Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday, the BJP apparently distanced itself from Sharma's remarks. In a statement, General Secretary Arun Singh said the party was against any ideology that demeans other religions. Without taking any names, it said, "During the thousands of years of history of India every religion has blossomed and flourished. The Bharatiya Janata Party respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities of any religion."
