The Supreme Court on Friday, 1 July, called out former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad and said she needs to apologise to the entire nation.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala made the remarks while hearing Sharma's plea that sought to move all the First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against her at several states to Delhi. Her plea was dismissed by the court
"The way she has ignited emotions across the country. This lady is singlehandedly responsible for what is happening in the country. We saw the debate on how she was incited... She should apologise to the whole country," Bar and Bench quoted Justice Surya Kant as saying.
The apex court further noted that her outburst was responsible for the unfortunate incident in Udaipur, ANI reported.
Sharma's comments, delivered during a prime-time show on national television, had provoked days-long protests and a stream of international censure – and at least two people died amidst the unrest. More recently, a tailor in Udaipur was killed by two men for posting a social media post allegedly supporting Sharma's remarks on the Prophet.
While several political leaders hailed the apex court for its remarks on Nupur Sharma, a number of Twitter users expressed mixed reactions, with many indicating that the Court had set a bad precedent by saying Sharma was single-handedly responsible for everything happening in the country. Many also critiqued the SC for holding her responsible for the Udaipur murder.
Here are some of the reactions:
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)