Opposition parties on Friday said the Supreme Court has rightly called out suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma for being "single-handedly responsible for igniting emotions across the country" with her remarks against the Prophet, and that the BJP should hang its head in shame.
While the Congress said the court has strengthened the party's resolve to fight "destructively divisive ideologies", Left parties sought an immediate apology from Nupur Sharma and said if the law did not act against her, it would send out a wrong message. The Trinamool Congress slammed the Home Minister Amit Shah “for sheltering her (Nupur Sharma)".
"The court has very rightly called out the BJP spokesperson for being 'single-handedly responsible for igniting emotions across the country', and that she should apologise to the entire nation," Congress chief spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.
"These remarks by the Supreme Court, which resonate with the entire country, should make the party in power hang its head in shame," he also said.
Ramesh said the Supreme Court has held a mirror to this government and called out the "base ugliness" of its actions. "It is no secret that the BJP seeks to profit from inflaming communal passions. Today, the Supreme Court has strengthened the resolve in every single one of us who are fighting these destructively divisive ideologies," the Congress leader.
Ramesh said the Congress will never cease its fight against "polarising anti-national forces" of all types which plunge the nation into chaos for political gains and let all Indian citizens bear the consequences of their "perverse actions".
The Left parties said it is a severe indictment of not Sharma's views alone but of the misuse of authority the BJP exercises. “It is an indictment of the divisiveness BJP promotes and the hate its leaders and trolls consistently fan, putting our country at great risk. It is the BJP that should also apologise and pledge to not indulge in further acts which are anti-Indian, unpatriotic and divisive," said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. He said the party hoped that action would be taken against Sharma.
"But if the law does not act against her and others like her promoted by the party, who sow discord, separatism and damage India, the wrong message would go out. We would find many more like her mushrooming from the RSS/BJP's hate factory and on vitriolic TV debates," Yechury said. Comparing the cases of Sharma and AltNews co-founder Mohammad Zubair, Yechury said the top court should take cognisance of the latter as well.
CPI MP Binoy Viswam too appreciated the remarks made by the apex court on Sharma and compared her case with that of Teesta Setalvad and Sreekumar. CPIML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that in a way, the Supreme Court's remark is an indictment of the present government's "polarising discourse".
While TMC urged the Delhi Police to arrest the former BJP spokesperson for her recent remarks against Prophet Mohammad, on his part AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the Centre is pressuring Delhi Police not to take action against Sharma and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to let the law take its course.