Nupur Sharma controversy: Due to BJP, India faced embarrassment, says Maharashtra CM

Nupur Sharma Controversy: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said, "The Middle East and the Arab countries brought our country to its knees and forced us to apologise. What led to this? India has to apologise. What has the country done? It is the BJP and its spokespersons that have committed the crime."

Aurangabad: Maharashtra Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that because of the BJP the country had to face embarrassment and was "brought to its knees and forced to apologise" by the Arab countries due to the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by its leaders. Addressing a rally, his first outside Mumbai after his spine surgery last year, Thackeray said while the inflation rate is rising and the rupee is on a downward slide, the worry is about looking for a Shivling under a mosque.

He also slammed the Centre over the recent targeted killings of Hindus in Kashmir and said instead of harassing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), raids should be conducted there.

On the controversial comments made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, now suspended from the party, for the comments made against Prophet Mohammad, he said, "The Middle East and the Arab countries brought our country to its knees and forced us to apologise. What led to this? India has to apologise. What has the country done? It is the BJP and its spokespersons that have committed the crime."

In his speech, Thackeray attacked the BJP over various issues ranging from Hindutva to inflation and the controversial statements made by the party leaders.

The BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after a row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from some Muslim countries.