HARIDWAR: Former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma‘s inflammatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a recent TV debate “cannot be categorised as a hate speech as she made it in the heat of the moment”, said Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) general secretary Milind Parande at the organisation’s two-day ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ which concluded in Haridwar on Sunday.
Parande added that “causing violence across the country in the name of religious feelings is a much bigger issue than hate speech”.
Terming it a “huge conspiracy hatched at an international level to target India”, the VHP functionary claimed, “Islamic countries never spoke against China where Muslims are being oppressed. Even in Pakistan, many Muslims are being killed in bomb blasts. India is run by law and Constitution, if anyone’s feelings are hurt by someone, then they can approach the court, but it is not right to come on to streets and start pelting stones in public.” The VHP further expressed satisfaction at the Supreme Court’s decision on the Gyanvapi mosque case.
This article first appeared on timesofindia.indiatimes.com