Suspended Bhartiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Saturday skipped summons issued by the Kolkata Police after a complaint was filed against her for the derogatory remarks she made about Prophet Muhammad last month, PTI reported.
Sharma wrote an email to Amherst Street police station, citing apprehensions that she will be assaulted if she visits Kolkata, an unidentified officer told the news agency. She also sought time of four weeks to appear before the police officers.
The Amherst Street police station in Kolkata had asked Sharma to join the investigation on Saturday.
Earlier on June 13, Sharma was issued summons and asked to appear before the Narkeldanga police station on or before June 20. However, she had skipped the questioning by citing security concerns.
Sharma’s remarks against the Prophet, made during a debate on the Times Now television channel on May 26, had sparked violent protests in several parts of India, including West Bengal.
On June 5, the BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Naveen Jindal, who was the media head of the party’s Delhi unit, after a diplomatic backlash from many Muslim-majority countries. He had posted a tweet on June 1 about the Prophet, which he later deleted.
On the same day, the Centre said that the controversial comments had been made by “fringe elements” and they did not reflect the views of the Indian government.
On Monday, the West Bengal Assembly had passed a resolution against Sharma’s comments.
On Thursday, the Kolkata Police said that 10 complaints have been filed against Sharma in various police stations of the city. First information reports have also been filed against her in other parts of West Bengal.
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