A day after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Imtiaz Jaleel said that former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma should be "hanged" for her offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad, party chief Asaduddin Owaisi distanced himself from Jaleel's comments on Saturday, 11 June, saying that Sharma should be punished as per the law.
"Nupur Sharma should be punished as per the law of the land. This is the official stand of our party which differs from what Imtiaz Jaleel sahab said. The official stand of the party must be accepted by all party workers," Owaisi said.
Jaleel, while addressing a protest in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, had said, "If Nupur Sharma is to be hanged, hang her from this very square in Aurangabad."
Jaleel Expresses Regret Over His Remarks
On being asked why he made those remarks, Jaleel said, "I was called by the Commissioner of Police to the protest spot as the situation was volatile and the crowd temper was high. I had to speak the language of the crowd," as per The Indian Express.
However, the MP later expressed regret over his remarks.
"We are not a Banana Republic. As a lawmaker, I know that it is reprehensible to hang people on the streets. My intent was to state that there should be some stringent action against her," the MP added.
Meanwhile, Owaisi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over its initial inaction regarding Sharma's remarks, saying that the party only took action after global condemnation.
"PM Modi didn't listen to what I said in a speech in Bhiwandi 2-3 days after Nupur Sharma made those comments, but he immediately swung into action the moment foreign countries started reacting," Owaisi said while addressing a press conference on Saturday.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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