Many Muslim countries have condemned India after Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), made comments about the prophet’s private life during a debate on TV that many Muslims described as insulting.

Sharma later said on Twitter that she had reacted to “continuous insult” towards a Hindu god but that she had withdrawn her statement. She has since been suspended and the police in New Delhi said they had filed a complaint against her.

Also, the party expelled its media head, Naveen Kumar Jindal, who had also made controversial statements against Islam, describing his views on social media as capable of causing conflict.

In a statement signed by MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group also condemned India for denying female students the right to wear hijab in schools, saying Muslims are being maltreated in the country.

It said, “The failure of India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP,) to sack its spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, who blasphemed against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) confirms the complicity of the Indian government.

“We demand that Nupur Sharma should be sacked. Her mere suspension is sheer window dressing and the height of hypocrisy.

“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to set the machinery in motion for holding India accountable. We demand that the Indian ambassador to Nigeria be summoned for a tough reprimand.”

It noted that the Nigerian government led by Muhammadu Buhari must make India “realise that its cruelty to Muslims within its borders is impacting negatively on Nigerian Muslims”.