Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma has been granted the license to carry a gun, news agency IANS reported on Thursday, citing sources in the Delhi Police. Sharma, then spokesperson for the ruling party at the Centre, was suspended from the party following widespread outrage over her remarks pertaining to Prophet Muhammad during a televised debate on a prominent news channel.
The report, citing sources, confirmed that Sharma had been granted the license to carry a personal gun in wake of threats she has been receiving in wake of her controversial statements.
As per the report, Nupur Sharma had recently moved a plea before the licensing unit of the Delhi Police citing danger to her life and sought permission to carry a gun round-the-clock for self-defence. The plea was allowed after seeking opinion and taking into consideration the gravity of the matter, reported IANS.
Sharma had stated in her plea that she was receiving constant threats to her life and requested permission to carry a pistol.
Sharma had kicked up a storm in mid-2022 with her remarks against the Prophet. The outrage resulted in the party suspending her and distancing itself from the controversy. Sharma’s remarks led to protests in several parts of the country and also triggered a diplomatic row with Islamic nations joining in condemnation against the said remarks by the leader of the ruling party.
In strong observations against her, the Supreme Court in July 2022 held her solely responsible for “setting the country on fire”. However, the court subsequently, allowed all cases registered against her in different states to be clubbed and transferred the probe to the Delhi Police.