Turkish official slams Indian BJP leaders' remarks insulting Prophet Muhammad

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish official on Monday joined a growing chorus of condemnation over Indian ruling BJP party officials' offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.

"We condemn the insulting remarks by BJP official against the Prophet in the strongest terms," Omer Celik, spokesman of Türkiye’s Justice and Development (AK) Party, said on Twitter.

Celik underlined that this insult was made not only against Muslims in India but also against Muslims all over the world.

Celik welcomed the BJP expelling one of the politicians in question from the party and Indian authorities condemning the remarks.

“This approach should be exemplary. We expect the Indian government to take the necessary measures in the face of rising Islamophobia and strengthen the religious freedom of Muslims,” Celik added.

Last week, ruling BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, the BJP’s Delhi media head, made insulting remarks about Muhammad, triggering a wave of condemnation at home and from the Islamic world.

On Monday, India said the remarks do not reflect the views of the government, with the "relevant bodies" taking strong action against them.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi stressed that they "do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India."

The BJP on Sunday said that it had suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal in response to the insulting remarks.