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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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
