On 28 June, a tailor was killed in Udaipur, Rajasthan, for his social media post allegedly in support of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remake against Prophet Muhammad. Several celebrities including Shabana Azmi, Gauahar Khan, and Swara Bhasker condemned the act.
Shabana Azmi tweeted, “I condemn the gruesome murder in Udaipur unequivocally. The culprits should be brought to book and given the severest punishment. Violence has no place in society.”
“Despicable and utterly condemnable.. The perpetrators should be dealt with promptly and strictly, as per law! Heinous crime.. Unjustifiable! As one often says.. if you want to kill in the name of your God, start with yourself! Sick sick monsters! #UdaipurHorror,” Swara Bhasker wrote.
Richa Chadha wrote, “This is crazy! Strictest punishment for the murderers must be meted out. Monsters! What are we becoming?” She also urged people to not share the visuals without trigger warnings.
Gauahar Khan’s tweet read, “Sickened to my stomach. By losers being the flag bearers of religion . All religions included , the murderers who killed a man over a post should be dealt with with extreme punishment. Is this the way to represent your faith ?? . Disgusting! Criminals. All alike.”
The two men who filmed the killing – Gaus Mohammad and Mohammad Riyaz Akhtari – have been arrested.
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