On June 4, members of the Muslim community in Padra Taluka of district Vadodara in Gujarat submitted a memorandum to the Mamlatdar against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Around 15-200 members of the Muslim community had approached Mamlatdar and urged him to file a First Investigation Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party’s national spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her alleged objectionable and derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad. The community members alleged her remarks hurt their religious sentiments. It is unclear if Mamlatdar took any action based on the memorandum or not.
The office of Mamlatdar office refers to a tehsildar office of the revenue department. However, the office in Gujarat is also an executive magistrate under section-20 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code 1973. While the office Mamlatdar largely deals with land related issues and disputes, including recovery of encroached govt property, the office also acts as the head of administration of a Taluka, just like the DC is head of administration of a district. Therefore, the Mamlatdar officer is also responsible for resolving other disputes in the community. The officer also have some limited judicial powers for local governance.
Threats and FIRs against Nupur Sharma
On May 27, BJP’s Nupur Sharma participated in a debate on Gyanvapi Mosque on Times Now. During the debate, she stated some facts as per the Islamic texts that irked the Muslims. She argued that since people are mocking the Hindu faith repeatedly, they can also mock other religions referring to Islamic beliefs.
Taking that video out of context, propaganda website AltNews cofounder Mohammed Zubair shared it with his Twitter followers, declaring Nupur a rabid communal hatemonger and someone who can incite riots. He dog-whistled an online mob against Sharma and accused her of insulting Prophet Muhammad. He was supported by other Islamists, many of whom issued death and rape threats to her and her family. So far, no action has been taken against Muhammad Zubair.
Three FIRs against Nupur Sharma have been registered. First FIR was registered based on the complaint of dubious Islamic organization Raza Academy on May 29. The second FIR was registered against her based on the complaint of one Mohammad Gurfan of Mumbra. The third FIR was registered in Hyderabad, and it was shared on social media by AIMIM chief Assadudin Owaisi.
Kanpur violence over Sharma’s remarks
The Islamists called for a Bandh in Kanpur on Friday over Sharma’s remarks during the debate. They tried to shut shops of Hindus after Friday Namaz. When the shopkeepers refused to shut shops, they started pelting stones, which turned into a communal clash. Following this, the UP Police rushed to the spot and dispersed the crowd. Multiple FIRs were registered, and several arrests were made following the violence.
Bounty against Nupur Sharma
Following the provocation by Zubair, Sharma received multiple threats on her life. Bounties were announced against her not only in India but also in Pakistan.
