Nupur Sharma, who was suspended in 2022, may be rehabilitated.
Foreseeing a wave of Hindutva support in the backdrop of the Ram Temple consecration, the BJP appears to be softening its stand on the suspension of some of its firebrand Hindutva faces who ran into controversies in recent times.
One beneficiary of such a rethink has been Telangana legislator Tiger Raja Singh whose hate speech earlier this year had earned him a suspension from the party. His suspension was revoked just before the Telangana Assembly elections and its positive impact on garnering support for the BJP was also taken note of by the party think-tank.
Party sources hinted that former party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who was suspended in 2022 after her controversial remark on Prophet Muhammad during a debate on television, might also be considered for a rehabilitation within the organisation ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Sharma, a legal professional, is being seen as a valuable asset to counter voices of rival parties in Delhi ahead of the parliamentary elections. Her possible return to active party duties may also benefit the organisation in the build-up to the Delhi Assembly elections in 2025.
Party sources said BJP national president J.P. Nadda and vice-president Baijayant Jay Panda, in charge of Delhi affairs, are likely to discuss Sharma’s “ghar wapsi” at the right time.
Sharma’s return as a BJP panellist on TV debates may strengthen the women’s team on national media. Since her suspension in 2022, Sharma had been keeping a very low profile and was also absent from BJP’s events till recently when she participated in a Ganesh Chaturthi event.
Sharma’s remarks had led to a massive backlash in the Gulf countries and several countries summoned Indian ambassadors to register their protest and condemn the remarks made by her. The ambassadors in press releases by the embassies stated that the views were those of “fringe elements”. Sharma later unconditionally withdrew the controversial remark and said in a statement posted on Twitter that it was never her intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.
For a very long period after her suspension, Sharma kept receiving death threats. The Delhi Police also provided security cover to Sharma and her family members after she complained of harassment.