Thursday
25th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Solih. Photo: President's Office.
The Government of Maldives has issued a tepid response to the defamatory and deplorable comments by India’s ruling party Baharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma against the Prophet Mohammed.
BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma insulted the prophet and his wife Aisha in a TV debate last week. She has been suspended since, with BJP and BJP-aligned media attempting to gloss over the incident.
Much public criticism had flowed against the Government for failing to issue a rebuke.
The Government’s response came on Monday evening. The statement condemned any and all defamatory language on the Prophet. It makes no mention of Sharma.
‘In this regard the Government of Maldives is deeply concerned by the derogatory remarks made by some officials of BJP, India, insulting the holy Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and the religion of Islam,’ the statement said.
The three-sentence statement concluded by welcoming the denouncement by the Government of India of the derogatory remarks by the concerned officials and the action taken by BJP against those officials.
While the Government had welcomed BJP, the party’s actions came following Arab nations’ condemnation, boycotts of Indian products, and dismissal of Indian workers in those nations.
While Sharma is suspended, BJP leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Government officials had affirmed their support for Sharma.