Tag : happy

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s action against its two members [https://www.rediff.com/news/report/bjp-suspends-nupur-sharma-axes-naveen-jindal-over-controversial-remarks/20220605.htm] for their controversial comments against Prophet Mohammed cap a series of statements from its top brass and also Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat that sought to distance their organisations from shrill and combative religious rhetoric, even as it has brought to fore the conflict within their wide sphere of support. The suspension of its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and the expulsion of its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal have also drawn angry reactions from the BJP's faithful cheerleaders on social media, more so for Sharma, reflecting the dissonance between the impulses guiding its army of supporters and the prudence of its leadership, which acted to contain negative fallouts amid domestic protests and angry reactions in Gulf countries [https://www.rediff.com/news/report/prophet-remark-3-countries-summon-indian-envoys-outrage-in-gulf/20220606.htm]. There is a view, also shared by many members of the party's rank and file, that the punishment given to Sharma was due to pressure from the Arab world. Muslim organisations in India had also been protesting against her comments. A party leader, however, asserted that the "heat" on social media is temporary, and the ruling party cannot allow a ceaseless negative discourse to dent its carefully crafted agenda of governance which has helped expand its base. In his latest address to BJP members on May 20 during a party meeting in Jaipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked them to stick to the issues of development and national interests and avoid any shortcuts. He had asked th ...