After the diplomatic hue and cry following a BJP spokesperson's comments on the Prophet during a news debate, India's information commissioner has come up with a novel plan on where India should go from here.
Uday Mahurkar suggested the government "make a list of Indian citizens who instigated Islamic nations against India" and, correspondingly, "charge them with treason".
The Nation has taken measures on the Prophet controversy. Now time for India to make a list of Indian citizens who instigated Islamic nations against India & charge them with treason. Their’s is anti-national activity. Even their property could be attached by enacting a Law. pic.twitter.com/1APV0R4aZj
— Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) June 8, 2022
Please note that Mahurkar is a former journalist – he was senior deputy editor of India Today magazine, where he worked for over 30 years before taking over as information commissioner in 2020. His official government bio describes him as possessing expertise on "radical Islamic movements" and "causes of religious conflict".
There's no word yet on whether the government is keen to take Mahurkar's proposal forward. But it's worth remembering that in India, journalists have been targeted for reporting on news deemed to be "anti-national" or "against India".
And the BJP might have denounced spokesperson Nupur Sharma is a "fringe element" but the party's top leaders and parliamentarians, who are in no way "fringe", have all taken turns to rant against Islam. Watch our video here.
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