Not entertaining her plea to club FIRs against her in different states with the one in Delhi over her remarks on the Prophet, the Supreme Court came down heavily on suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, saying she has a “loose tongue” and is “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country” including in Udaipur where a tailor was hacked to death last week for allegedly sharing her remarks.
Stating that Sharma should have “apologised to the nation”, the vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala pulled her up for approaching the Supreme Court directly. “The petition smacks of her arrogance that magistrates of the country are too small for her.”
The bench was also critical of the Delhi Police response in the matter and asked, “What has Delhi Police done? Don’t make us open our mouth.”
“When you get an FIR registered against XYZ, he is arrested immediately… Nobody has dared to touch you,” Justice Surya Kant said.
Sharma’s petition was filed under the name N V Sharma and Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, who was representing her, said this was done because there was threat to her life.
At this, Justice Surya Kant said, “She has threat or she has become a security threat? The way she has ignited emotions across the country, this lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country.”
Singh said Sharma had tendered a written apology, but Justice Surya Kant said “she was too late to withdraw” and it was done “conditionally saying sentiments hurt”.
“We saw the debate on how she was incited. But the way she said all this… and later says she is a lawyer… it is shameful… she should have gone to the TV and apologised to the nation.”
“What if she is the spokesperson of a party? She thinks she has back-up power and can make any statement without respect to the law of the land?” Justice Surya Kant said.
Sharma made remarks on the Prophet during a TV debate on the Gyanvapi mosque issue on May 27. On a request by Singh, the bench allowed the petition to be withdrawn with liberty to avail alternate remedies.
