India tightens security after militants threaten attacks over anti-Muslim remarks

Lucknow: India tightened public security on Wednesday after the circulation of a letter warning of Islamist militant attacks to avenge derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by an official of the ruling Hindu nationalist party.

Several Indian media groups shared the June 6 letter attributed to Al Qaida’s branch in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS) in which threats were made to carry out suicide bombings in Indian states to defend, it said, the honour of the Prophet.

A federal home ministry official said intelligence agencies were checking the authenticity of the threats issued by AQIS.

“We have also ordered state police to ensure public gatherings or protests are not allowed as they could be targeted by the militant group,” a senior home ministry official in New Delhi said.

The security threat surfaced days after a spokeswoman for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made comments about the Prophet during a TV debate.

BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma’s remarks sparked uproar among Muslims in India and triggered diplomatic protests from Islamic countries demanding an apology from the Indian government.

Sharma has been suspended from the party while another spokesman, Naveen Kumar Jindal, was expelled over comments he made about Islam on social media.

Police in northern India arrested a BJP youth leader for posting anti-Muslim comments on social media, along with 50 other people who took part in sporadic unrest among minority Muslims in parts of India last week over Sharma’s remarks.

India’s foreign ministry said on Monday the offensive tweets and comments did not in any way reflect the government’s views.

Instructions have been issued to several senior members of the BJP to be “extremely cautious” when talking about religion on public platforms.

But domestic outrage gained fresh momentum after leaders from Islamic nations demanded apologies from New Delhi and summoned diplomats to protest against the remarks in the TV debate.

The influential 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a statement that the insults came in the context of an increasingly intense atmosphere of hatred toward Islam in India and systematic harassment of Muslims.

Meanwhile, India’S Federal Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said that the BJP has taken necessary action against the party functionary over controversial remarks concerning Prophet with the Ministry of External Affairs also coming out with necessary clarification and noted that India will continue to have good ties with Gulf countries.

He also said that all Indians living in Gulf countries are safe and there is no tension anywhere.

Referring to the remarks of Nupur Sharma, the minister told the media that the comments were not made by any government functionary and have no impact on the government.

“All Indians living in gulf countries are safe and they do not have to worry. There is no tension anywhere... I don’t think this was a statement made by any government functionary. Therefore, it has no impact on the government,” he said in response to queries.

“Foreign office (MEA) has come out with clarification and BJP has taken necessary actions. We lead the world, we’ll continue to lead the world. We have a good relationship with these countries and it will continue,” he added.