The Supreme Court on Friday castigated suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for instigating "unfortunate incidents" across the country with her remarks against Prophet Muhammad and said that she should "apologise to the whole country".
The apex court came down heavily on suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial comments against the Prophet, saying her "loose tongue" has "set the entire country on fire" and that she is "single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country".
Supreme Court's remarks come in the aftermath of the murder of a Udaipur tailor by two Muslim men.
While Congress spearheaded the drive, all the Opposition parties launched full-fledged verbal attacks on the ruling BJP.
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while replying to a question in his Lok Sabha constituency Wayanad, said, “The atmosphere in the country has been created by the ruling dispensation. It is not the person [Nupur Sharma] who has made the comment, it is the Prime Minister, Home Minister, BJP and RSS that have created this environmentof anger, hatred. Frankly this environment in the country is an anti-national act. This is against the interest of India, it is against the interest of people, and it is going to lead to tragedy.”
In a statement after the Supreme Court's observations against Sharma, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the court has strengthened the party's resolve to fight "destructively divisive ideologies".
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"The court has very rightly called out the BJP spokesperson for being 'single-handedly responsible for igniting emotions across the country', and that she should apologise to the entire nation," Ramesh said.
"These remarks by the Supreme Court, which resonate with the entire country, should make the party in power hang its head in shame," he also said.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday "appreciated" the Supreme Court's observations against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her "provocative comments" on Prophet Mohammad.
However, she also asked when the apex court will take cognizance of the Delhi Police's different yardsticks applied to Sharma and fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair.
The Left parties also sought an apology from suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma for her recent remarks on Prophet Mohammad and said if the law did not act against her, it would send out a wrong message.
"It is a severe indictment of not Sharma's views alone but of the misuse of authority the BJP exercises, it is an indictment of the divisiveness BJP promotes and the hate its leaders and trolls consistently fan, putting our country at great risk. It is the BJP that should also apologise and pledge to not indulge in further acts which are anti-Indian, unpatriotic and divisive," said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in a tweet.
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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted in Hindi, “Not only the Mukh [referring to spokesperson], but the sharir [referring to her organisation] should also apologise and be punished for disturbing the unrest and harmony in the country.”
