Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma, who is facing multiple cases for her controversial remarks, has now been summoned by the Kolkata Police to appear at the Narkeldanga police station on June 20 for questioning.
Ms. Sharma has also been summoned by the police in Mumbai and Thane, Maharashtra. The Mumbai police, which registered a case on the complaint lodged by a Raza Academy office bearer with the Pydhonie police station, has asked her to appear on June 25. The Mumbai police has sent a notice for her appearance on June 22, while the Bhiwandi police had issued summons against her for joining the probe on Monday.
The suspended BJP leader, through her lawyer, has sought four weeks’ time from the Bhiwandi police to record her statement in the case registered on May 30. The Delhi Police have also named her in one of the FIRs.
Ms. Sharma’s comments, made during a TV debate last month, sparked a series of violent protests in different parts of the country this past week and drew sharp reactions from countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bahrain.
In support of Ms. Sharma
At the same time, she is also getting support from a large number of people on social media from different parts of the country.
At a Dharma Parishad in Kashi on June 10, Hindu saints condemned the violent protests and also demanded legal action against those who issued threats to Ms. Sharma.
On June 11, a procession in support of the suspended BJP leader was taken out in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi despite prohibitory orders. A case was registered in this regard. The same day, many supporters gathered on Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway in Ahmedabad, but were not allowed by the police to take out a march.
An organisation named Hindu Sena on June 11 said the Delhi police detained its 12 volunteers while they were trying to take out a march in favour of Ms. Sharma. Ahmedabad-based Nari Gaurav Suraksha Samiti also extended support to her.
Earlier, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir, who is the BJP MP from East Delhi, tweeted: “Silence of so called ‘secular liberals’ on the sickening display of hatred and death threats throughout the country against a woman who has apologised is surely deafening!”
On June 10, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, who is facing trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and is out on bail, tweeted: “If telling the truth is a rebellion, then understand that I am also a rebel...”
