New Delhi: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Nupur Sharma has courted controversy once again with her remarks—subsequently withdrawn—about the death of Ram Gopal Mishra, the 22-year-old killed in the violence in Bahraich last week, spurring the Congress to demand that the Uttar Pradesh Police take action against her for inciting hatred.
Mishra was allegedly shot dead during a confrontation on Vijayadashami when a Hindu procession passed through a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood. The incident sparked communal tensions in Bahraich.
While addressing a Brahmin conference in UP’s Bulandshahr Sunday, Sharma—who was suspended from the BJP in 2022 after her controversial comments on the Prophet Muhammad—alleged that Mishra had been brutally tortured before being killed. She exhorted people to unite, saying, “Batenge toh katenge (If we are divided, we will be finished).”
“Is it acceptable to shoot someone 35 times? Were his nails pulled out? Does our country’s law allow for such a brutal murder just for raising a flag?” she asked the gathering.
The Bahraich police had dismissed the allegations of torture on 16 October, saying Mishra had died from gunshot wounds.
Speaking to the media the same day, Sharma said, “It was a brutal murder, but the UP government has taken all the steps. I have said this before, and I will say it again—Hindu lives matter. You cannot take the law into your own hands.”
“So, I would like to thank the government of Uttar Pradesh as well as other BJP governments across India who have adopted a strict approach, especially regarding such illegal murders,” she said.
— BAHRAICH POLICE (@bahraichpolice) October 16, 2024
Sharma’s comments started a political controversy after a video of her speaking at the event began circulating on social media.
Facing a backlash, Sharma withdrew her remarks later Sunday in a post on X. She said her comments were based on what she had learnt from the media.
“What I said about the late Ram Gopal Mishra ji was based on what I had heard from the media. I was not aware of the clarification in the post-mortem report. I take back my words and apologise.”
दिवंगत राम गोपाल मिश्रा जी के बारे में जो मैंने मीडिया में सुना था वह मैंने दोहराया। मुझे पोस्ट मॉर्टम रिपोर्ट के स्पष्टीकरण के बारे में नहीं पता था। मैं अपने शब्द वापिस लेती हूँ और क्षमा माँगती हूँ।#Bahraich https://t.co/B1ni0DjsVB
— Nupur Sharma (@NupurSharmaBJP) October 20, 2024
In a post on X, Supriya Shrinate, Congress leader and the party chairperson of social media and digital platforms, questioned Monday what action the Uttar Pradesh Police had taken against her.
“This is Nupur Sharma from the BJP—do you remember what she did? Now, even after the Bahraich police’s denial and post-mortem report, she is lying about the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra…She is inciting hatred by spreading fake news. Punishment [UP Police]?”
यह BJP वाली नूपुर शर्मा हैं – याद हैं ना इन्होंने क्या किया था?
अब, बहराइच पुलिस के खंडन और पोस्टमार्टम रिपोर्ट के बाद भी रामगोपाल मिश्रा की हत्या पर झूठ बोल रही हैं
“35 गोलियां, नाखून उखाड़, पेट फाड़, आँखें निकाल”
यह फेक न्यूज़ फैला कर नफ़रत भड़का रही हैं. सज़ा @Uppolice ? pic.twitter.com/63ugrCsMjf
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 21, 2024
Sharma was suspended from the BJP in June 2022, pending an inquiry, for making derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate in May of that year. At the time, the BJP, in a statement, said it “strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities” and that it “does not promote such people or philosophy”. Sharma withdrew her remarks later in a post on X.
Last week, Om Pathak, member secretary of the party’s central disciplinary committee, told ThePrint that her case was “still under consideration”.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: BJP panel sitting on her case for over 2 yrs, Nupur Sharma eases back into public life
