NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra unit chief and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has stirred a controversy with his remarks on the 2022 Udaipur beheading case, calling the act a “reaction” to derogatory comments made about Prophet Mohammad.
Azmi’s comments came while reacting to the release of Udaipur Files, a film based on the killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in his Udaipur shop by two men after he allegedly shared a post in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
The film depicts the brutal murder — which police had classified as a terror act — and its aftermath.
Speaking to reporters, Azmi said: “Look, such films that spread hatred should not be released. It depicts an incident of a tailor’s throat being slit, which is completely wrong. But the question is, why was the throat slit? Every action has a reaction."
In an apparent reference to Nupur Sharma, without mentioning her by name, Azmi attributed responsibility for the ghastly act to her.
"The action was that a woman made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad. The Supreme Court also said that wherever riots occurred in the country, she is responsible for it. Following that leader’s statement, a person showed something on social media, after which his throat was slit, which is wrong,” news agency IANS quoted Azmi as saying.
Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, was murdered in June 2022 by two men who filmed the killing and later posted the video online, claiming it was revenge for his alleged support to Sharma’s remarks about the Prophet.
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