Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, 8 June, lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, stating that the "nation had to bear the humiliation" for her controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad.
Thackeray claimed that the country had to endure embarrassment and was "brought to its knees and forced to apologise" by Arab countries due to the contentious remarks made by BJP leader.
"Due to a statement of a spokesperson of the BJP, the nation had to bear the humiliation. Here, in the state, BJP is making issues about loudspeakers & other things," Thackeray said while speaking during a public meeting by his party, Shiv Sena, at Sambhajinagar in Aurangabad, his first rally outside Mumbai since his spine surgery last year.
The CM further said that instead of harassing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the central government should focus on the issue of Hindus in Kashmir.
"Rather than making ED and CBI run after us, focus on the situation of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir," the chief minister said.
On the Gyanvapi Row
Thackeray said that while the inflation rate is rising and the rupee is on a fall, the focus of the government is on searching for a Shivling under a mosque.
The leader also commented on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent statement on the Gyanvapi row. "We welcome RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent statement on Shivling", the CM was quoted as saying by ANI.
Bhagwat had chimed in on the Gyanvapi masjid dispute on 2 June, urging Hindus and Muslims to find a solution through mutual agreement. He had also said that one should not bring up a new issue daily. "Why should we escalate the dispute? Why look for a Shivling in every masjid?" he had commented.
On Nupur Sharma and Navin Jindal
The chief minister reacted on the controversial comments made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. "The Middle East and the Arab countries brought our country to its knees and forced us to apologise. What led to this? India has to apologise. What has the country done? It is the BJP and its spokespersons that have committed the crime," the leader said.
He slammed the BJP on various issues, including Hindutva, inflation, and its leaders' provocative utterances.
On 26 May, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma made a derogatory comment about Prophet Muhammad during a debate on news channel Times Now. Later, on 1 June, Naveen Jindal, Delhi unit’s media cell head, tweeted a similar remark on the Prophet.
The controversial comments resulted in protests in several parts of the country and received backlash globally following which BJP suspended Nupur Sharma and expelled Jindal from the party's membership.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)
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