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HomeNews ReportsEx-cricketer Venkatesh Prasad calls out whataboutery of those justifying the hanging of Nupur Sharma's...

Ex-cricketer Venkatesh Prasad calls out whataboutery of those justifying the hanging of Nupur Sharma’s effigy outside Belgavi mosque

For a community that likes to call itself peaceful, it sure has violent ways to prove how peaceful it is.

Former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad on Sunday called out those who were indulging in whataboutery on his tweet where he expressed shock and condemned the hanging of effigy of ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma outside a mosque in Belgavi, Karnataka, over her remarks on Prophet Muhammad.

Earlier, Prasad had expressed his horror on the hanging effigy via a tweet where he had said that he could not believe this was India in 21st century. He had appealed to everyone to let sanity prevail and leave politics aside. However, his appeal for sanity rubbed some ‘liberals’, Islamists and others a wrong way who, instead of agreeing to bring an end to the violence and death threats, indulged in whataboutery instead.

Many Islamists shared images of the demolition of disputed structure at Ayodhya which triggered violent riots back in the day. So much that 10 years later in 2002, an Islamist mob burnt down a train full of pilgrims coming from Ayodhya.

Surprising someone would use these images to justify death threats to Sharma for citing things which are stated in the Islamic scriptures.

Some even shared visual images of police action on rioters in Jharkhand to justify public display of a hanging effigy.

Some even tried to justify it by claiming how political workers have often burnt effigies and so have cricket fans. However, effigy burning as a means of protest is way different than hanging an effigy as a death threat and as message to others that same fate awaits them should they ‘hurt religious sentiments’ of one community. For a community that likes to call itself peaceful, it sure has violent ways to prove how peaceful it is.

Along with all the Islamists, Bollywood entertainer Swara Bhasker, too, joined in to water down the threats to Nupur Sharma. Bhasker, however, has not yet condemned the riots and calls for beheading and bounty announced on Sharma’s head for ‘hurting religious sentiments’ of a community.

Frustrated by the lack of willingness by hardliners to let sanity prevail, the former cricketer said how he found it unbelievable. He said that this effigy is not just about Sharma but it is a threat to more than one person in no uncertain terms. Bodies were similarly hanged on cranes for public display by Islamist group Taliban when it toppled the government in Afghanistan.

Ayodhra Ram Mandir special coverage by OpIndia

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OpIndia Staff
OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
Staff reporter at OpIndia

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