New Delhi: Geert Wilders, a Dutch politician who has long advocated a ban on the Quran, has extended his support to Nupur Sharma, the suspended BJP leader who is at the centre of the ‘blasphemy controversy’ following her remarks on the Prophet.
On Sunday, he tweeted: “Secularism should not mean that demeaning Hindu Gods is justified and telling the truth about Muhammad is not. So when #napursharma reacted to someone demeaning Hindu Gods it was totally justified.”
I am not Indian nor a Hindu.
But I know one thing.
Secularism should not mean that demeaning Hindu Gods is justified and telling the truth about Muhammad is not.
So when #napursharma reacted to someone demeaning Hindu Gods it was totally justified.#IsupportNupurSharma
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 11, 2022
The remarks had sparked massive outrage across the nation and invited backlash from the Arab world and triggered protests in several states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Karnataka.
Wilders also mentioned getting hundreds of death threats for supporting Nupur. “It makes me even more determined and proud supporting her,” he added.
So this is what I get supporting the brave #NupurSharma.
Hundreds of death threats.
It makes me even more determined and proud supporting her.
For evil may never win. Never. #IsupportNupurSharma pic.twitter.com/gsl6tnJAoF
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 11, 2022
The screenshots Wilders shared in the tweet contain vulgar threat messages intended at the assassination of him.
In earlier an interview with India Today, he said, “I support Nupur Sharma because I believe that nobody should be punished or apologise for speaking the truth. We might like it, we might dislike it, but she spoke the truth about Muhammad.”
The 58-year-old Dutch parliamentarian also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly defend and support Nupur Sharma. “Only criminals and terrorists use street violence to express their religious intolerance and hate.”
Dear Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi,
Why don’t you publicly defend and support Nupur Sharma?@PMOIndia @narendramodi @NupurSharmaBJP #FreedomOfSpeech #IsupportNupurSharma
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 11, 2022
Only criminals and terrorists use street violence to express their religious intolerance and hate. Stop being tolerant to the intolerant. We cherish life, they cherish death. We support freedom and the heroic #NupurSharma is a symbol of our strength. Support her!
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 11, 2022
Notably, Wilders, who founded the anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands in 2006, had suggested measures such as imposing a tax on wearing the hijab, calling it a “symbol of oppression“. His Twitter account was temporarily suspended in April for his anti-Islam tweet in which he mentioned Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
His hardline views on Islam and immigration policies have also earned him the nickname “Dutch Donald Trump” in some sections of the western media.
