BJP's Nupur Sharma apologises after spreading fake news, communalizing Ram Gopal Mishra case
New Delhi: Former BJP leader Nupur Sharma has once again found herself in the spotlight, this time due to a controversy over her remarks concerning the death of Ram Gopal Mishra, a victim of the Bahraich violence. During a recent address, Sharma made a false claim about the manner of Mishra’s death, which led to widespread uproar.
Following the backlash, she has now issued an apology, acknowledging that her statement was based on incorrect information.
Sharma, while speaking at a conference, alleged that Ram Gopal Mishra had suffered horrific brutality, claiming, “35 bullets, pulled-out nails, torn stomach, eyes gouged out.” She questioned whether the country’s laws permit such acts of violence over issues like the removal of a flag. Her words immediately drew attention and stirred communal tensions.
After being informed that the details she shared were incorrect, Sharma apologized for her statement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). She explained that her claim was based on media reports she had encountered and was unaware of the findings from the postmortem report, which had clarified the actual cause of death. In her apology, she wrote, "I reiterated what I had heard in the media about the late Ram Gopal Mishra ji. I was not aware of the clarification in the postmortem report. I take back my words and apologize."
In her speech, Sharma had gone on to say, "We are not mosquitoes that we will be crushed... First start thinking about what you can do for your society... My suffering is not bigger than the country, society, and religion, but as long as I am alive, I will keep reminding that if we had raised our voice at that time, then trouble would not have come to my house today."
At the time of her address, Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and former Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra were also in attendance, adding further significance to the platform from which she made her remarks.
The controversy surrounding the death of Ram Gopal Mishra has been rife with rumors and false claims. Several reports had suggested that Mishra had been subjected to extreme torture, including having his nails pulled out. However, the Uttar Pradesh Police later debunked these claims, confirming that the cause of Mishra’s death was a gunshot wound and that no such torture had occurred. The UP Police had urged the public not to spread false information, clarifying that the reports of torture were entirely baseless.
यह BJP वाली नूपुर शर्मा हैं - याद हैं ना इन्होंने क्या किया था?
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 21, 2024
अब, बहराइच पुलिस के खंडन और पोस्टमार्टम रिपोर्ट के बाद भी रामगोपाल मिश्रा की हत्या पर झूठ बोल रही हैं
“35 गोलियां, नाखून उखाड़, पेट फाड़, आँखें निकाल"
यह फेक न्यूज़ फैला कर नफ़रत भड़का रही हैं. सज़ा @Uppolice ? pic.twitter.com/63ugrCsMjf
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
