An Ahmedabad-based lawyer has filed a complaint saying that he had received threats for showing solidarity with Ex-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma. This threat to lawyer’s life cannot be taken lightly considering the recent murders in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
In the FIR, the 32-year old Krupal Raval said that he had posted a photo of Nupur Sharma on his WhatsApp account on June 13. However, he deleted the photo the same day, thinking that his actions might hurt the sentiments of his Muslim friends. Raval then said that he had received a message on his phone from an unknown account, threatening him for showing support to Nupur Sharma. He said the message was written in a very derogatory language and had left him shaken.
Raval had sent a message back inquiring about the identity of the sender but had not received an answer. He had then blocked the number. Also, a few hours later someone had called him and threatened him. Later, he found out that someone with a London-based account had taken a screenshot of his WhatsApp photo and shared it. The whole incident had left him fearing for his life. He had approached the police as he had no other choice.
Nupur Sharma in May made some controversial remarks against the Prophet Muhammad when she participated in a television debate. These comments caused quite a stir, in India as well as abroad. BJP came under fire from the Arab World. When Qatar, Iran, and Kuwait expressed their anger over the comments made by Sharma, BJP was quick to take action to soothe any ruffled feathers and suspended her. Sharma too posted a public apology, saying that her comments had been a result of her frustration over TV debates and she had not intended to hurt anybody’s sentiments.
However, the matter has not yet been settled as anyone who has shown any sort of agreement with Nupur Sharma is facing threats. On June 28, two assailants beheaded the tailor in Udaipur’s Maldas Street, for sharing a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma. A chemist was attacked and killed by two men on a motorcycle on his way back from work on June 21 in Amravati city, Maharashtra.
