BJP Has New Rules for Leaders Joining TV Debates After Nupur Sharma Row: Report

Only authorised spokespersons and panelists will participate in TV debates, as per the new rules.

After international condemnation of the remarks made by two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders against the Prophet, the saffron party has issued new rules for its spokespersons and leaders joining TV debates, as per reports.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Nupur Sharma)

After international condemnation of the remarks made by two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders against the Prophet, the saffron party has issued new rules for its spokespersons and leaders joining TV debates, as per reports.

Only authorised spokespersons and panelists will participate in TV debates, and they will be assigned by the party's media cell, as per an NDTV report that cited sources, and they will be assigned by the party's media cell.

The spokespersons have also been warned against criticising any religion, or associated symbols and figures. They have been asked to study about the party's views on the concerned issue before appearing for debates, as per the report.

This comes after the central government faced widespread backlash for the contentious remarks of the ruling party's leaders, with many Islamic nations demanding an apology from India.

What Has Happened?

Fifteen nations, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which consists of 56 member states, have censured the BJP over the controversial remarks made by ex-party spokesperson Nupur Sharma and former Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal against Prophet Muhammad.

Sharma's comments against Prophet Muhammad were made during a debate on a television channel. When the controversy snowballed, Jindal posted a controversial tweet about the Prophet, which he deleted after the outrage.

Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Indonesia, UAE, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Libya, Taliban in Afghanistan, Jordan, Turkey, and Maldives have condemned the statements made by the two leaders.

Following the censure, the BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal from party's primary membership after public outrage in several Islamic nations.

A statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs also noted that the "Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions." It also said that "strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks," and that the contentious views belong to "fringe elements" and not the central government.

(With inputs from NDTV.)