BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and the Delhi unit of the party expelled its media cell head, Naveen Kumar from the primary membership of the party following objectionable and communal statements by them on Prophet Mohammad and Islam.
The disciplinary action against Ms Sharma and Mr Kumar comes after after violence broke out in Kanpur and a diplomatic furore broke out especially in the Gulf countries, including the summoning of the Indian Envoy to Qatar, Deepak Mittal by the country's foreign office, while vice president M Venkaiah Naidu is on an official visit there. A flood of protests have also trended on social media, including a call to boycott Indian products in the Gulf countries.
An official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said that Mr. Mittal "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflct the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements....strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks." Thus terming the spokespersons of the BJP as "fringe elements".
