Surat businessman uploads Nupur Sharma's photo on Instagram, gets DEATH threat

Surat: A Surat-based businessman received death threats from some unknown persons on Friday for uploading suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's photo on Instagram. The Surat Police later arrested three persons for allegedly threatening the businessman. The complainant, who runs an amusement park, allegedly received death threats from seven persons after Sharma's photo was uploaded on the park's Instagram page, said a Surat police official confirmed to news agency PTI. 

A search was on for four other accused, said inspector J R Chaudhary of Umra police station where the case was registered. The three persons arrested by the Surat police were identified as Mohammad Ayan Atashbajiwala, Rashid Bhura and a woman named Aliya Mohammad - all Surat residents. 

All three were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506, 507 (criminal intimidation). Nupur Sharma, then spokesperson of the BJP, kicked up a huge row last month by making a controversial comment about Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate. 

As per the complainant, Sharma's picture was uploaded on the amusement park's Instagram account by the persons who handled its social media marketing. He deleted the photo immediately and apologised, but the arrested trio and a few others issued him death threats on Instagram and asked whether he 'wanted to live in Surat or not,' as per the First Information Report. 

Earlier this month, an Ahmedabad-based lawyer had approached police after allegedly receiving a death threat over a WhatsApp status message supporting Nupur Sharma.

It may be recalled that Nupur Sharma, a former national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was suspended from the party in June 2022 over her objectionable remarks on the Prophet Mohammad during a debate on a TV news channel.

Her allegedly insulting remarks drew ire from several Gulf nations including Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, who sought an apology from India. Sharma later withdrew her comments and, in a statement posted on Twitter, said that her ''intention was not to hurt anyone.''