After Tejasvi Surya’s controversial remarks, observers fear deeper ramifications; BJP sees conspiracy to malign
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 21
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya may have deleted his disrespectful tweet against Muslim women after vociferous objections from the Arab World but debate is on over ramifications of the allegations of growing “Islamophobia” in India and Indians abroad amid COVID-19 and in light of Tablighi Jamaat incident.
While observers fear “backlash/retaliation, monetary and otherwise both” over the “Islamophobic” social media posts by Indians in Gulf, some within the BJP are sensing a “conspiracy” given that a “five-year-old tweet was pulled out to corner the party and the government led by it”.
”It (the tweet) was disrespectful, which is why he has deleted it. But remember it is five years old, this also needs to be kept in mind while casting aspersions on the BJP,” a party functionary said after India’s ambassador in the UAE also reminded the diaspora there of the importance of adhering to the rule of law.
Ambassador Pavan Kapoor said India and the UAE share the value of non-discrimination on any grounds. “Discrimination is against our moral fabric and the Rule of law. Indian nationals in the UAE should always remember this,”he said.
A couple of days back Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before striking.
The fact is not just Surya, similar remarks by some right-wing supporters by expats in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, blaming Muslims for the spread of novel coronavirus and dubbing the spread as ‘Corona Jihad’ on social media triggered an outrage from prominent Arab nationals who took to social media to condemn and question their remarks.
Princess Hend Al Qassimi, a member of the UAE royal family, said “the ruling family is friends with Indians but as a royal your rudeness is not welcome. You make your bread and butter from this land which you scorn and your ridicule will not go unnoticed”.
Later she also retweeted a comment that said “in response to the anti-Muslim bias in the media and even official messaging over the coronavirus, the intelligentsia in India-friendly Gulf countries has started critically examining the ruling BJP’s attitudes towards Muslims and Arabs”.
Archived comments tweeted by citizens from Gulf show Surya justified the remarks.
Reports suggest that despite many Indians being sacked, the list of expats landing in trouble for alleged “Islamophobic” posts is growing. Apart from Princess Hend Al Qassimi, the posts were also criticised by prominent Gulf citizens and Indians reminded that “every year more than $55 billion are transferred to India from Gulf countries and more than 120 billion annually from all Muslim countries”.
