Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders announced his solidarity with Nupur Sharma, a suspended BJP spokesperson whose contentious remarks regarding Prophet Mohammed incited significant unrest in 2022 on Saturday.
Wilders, who unexpectedly won the Netherlands elections last year, expressed his desire to meet Nupur Sharma during a future visit to India through his official X account.
“I sent a personal message of support to the brave Nupur Sharma, who is threatened by Islamists for years now only for speaking the truth. Freedom-loving people all over the world should support her. I hope to meet her one day while visiting India,” he shared on X.
In 2022, he also stood by Ms. Sharma amidst the controversy surrounding her remarks concerning Prophet Muhammad.
“Nupur Sharma is a hero who spoke nothing but the truth. The whole world should be proud of her. She deserves the Nobel Prize. And India is a Hindu nation, the Indian government is obliged to strongly defend Hindus against Islamic hate and violence,” he expressed his support for her in a tweet after Nupur Sharma’s remarks in a televised debate sparked controversy.
Since his nationalist Freedom Party (PVV) secured victory in the elections last year, Geert Wilders has been endeavoring to forge a coalition government in the Netherlands, despite falling considerably short of a parliamentary majority.
Following his triumph in November, Wilders has been working to establish a coalition, aiming to include the center-right party led by outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the centrist New Social Contract, and the BBB party representing farmers’ protest interests.
To secure the position of Netherlands Prime Minister, the coalition led by Wilders must surpass the crucial threshold of 76 seats in the 150-seat Lower House.