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Nupur Sharma Prophet remarks: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) post the Nupur Sharma fiasco has now issued a guideline to all its spokespersons before appearing on TV debates. The BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit media head Naveen Kumar Jindal as the row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from some Muslim countries. Sharma’s comments, made during a TV debate nearly 10 days ago, and Jindal’s now-deleted tweets sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries.
BJP issues guidelines to its spokesperson for appearing in TV debates
- Only official spokespersons and panelists will go to the debates on TV channels, who will be assigned by the party’s media cell.
- The spokespersons have been advised to not speak against any religion, religious heads, worshipers, and religious symbols.
- They have asked to use restrained language, and not to get excited and agitated. Spokespersons must stick to issues central to BJP and focus on debates around the welfare of the poor.
- Spokespersons have been asked not to violate the ideology and principles of the party even if provoked by anyone.
- Before appearing on any TV debate, they should not know about the topic of the debate, must prepare for it, and should also know the party line on any particular matter.
Meanwhile, amid demonstrations by Muslim groups and the strong reaction from countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Iran, the BJP issued a statement asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious personality.
Qatar and Kuwait summoned the Indian ambassadors and handed over to them protest notes on what the Gulf countries called categorical “rejection and condemnation” of the controversial remarks of the BJP leader against Prophet Muhammad.
The foreign ministries of the two Gulf countries welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the leader.
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