On September 24, filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri organised a special screening of his upcoming film, “The Vaccine War,” in Delhi. Nupur Sharma, a former spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who has been under threat since Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair targeted her in May 2022, following a TV debate was in attendance.
Sharma, a familiar face in television debates, required security due to threats from Islamist groups who accused her of ‘blasphemy’.
Following the screening, Agnihotri invited Sharma onto the stage, praising her as an inspiration to young girls for her courage. He emphasized that while the film revolves around science, he wanted to avoid politicising it. He stated, “I invited her on stage because she will serve as a source of encouragement for countless young girls and Indians. She stands as a symbol of a modern, courageous Indian woman.”
Thank you #NupurSharma for being such an inspiration for young girls. Nobody can stop you when you have millions of brothers fighting for you. pic.twitter.com/QlG6922BPW
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 25, 2023
Following watching the film in a screening held by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi in Delhi, Nupur Sharma extended her heartfelt gratitude to Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and said, “I just want to say thank you to all of you; just because of you all, the Indians still l exist. I want to thank you From the bottom of my heart, for giving me the chance to watch this film, and in one word, I just wanted to say, Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
Sharma said, “The film is very beautiful, and I enjoyed watching it. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to ICA and NIA. If there hadn’t been the personal sacrifices of the unsung heroes, lakhs of people in India would have suffered from the vaccines during the pandemic period. I also want to thank Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and their whole team, who made such a fantastic film to celebrate Indian women, and also the solid cast of the film, who gave impeccable performances. Bharat Mata Ki Jai”
‘The Vaccine War’ will feature Anupam Kher, Nana Patekar, Sapthami Gowda, and Pallavi Joshi as lead characters, and the film will tell the story of the crisis time when India developed the vaccine. Produced by Pallavi Joshi and I Am Buddha, the film will be released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu on September 28, 2023.
In May 2022, Nupur Sharma appeared on a television show and made controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad. This led to significant backlash, resulting in her suspension from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Subsequently, she lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police, reporting threats to her life. Following this incident, she opted to step back from public engagements. Her final post on X (formerly known as Twitter) was on June 5, 2022, in which she issued an unconditional retraction of her earlier statement.
During a May 2022 debate concerning the contested structure at Gyanvapi in Kashi, former BJP spokesperson Sharma criticized Taslim Ahmed Rehmani for consistently using offensive language directed at Hindu deities and the Hindu belief system. She posed a question to Rehmani, asking him how he would react if she were to divulge details about Prophet Mohammad’s life as documented in Islamic scriptures. Regrettably, Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, took her statement out of context. He omitted Rehmani’s comments and shared only her statement on social media, falsely asserting that she was disrespecting Muslims.
Sharma was accused of disrespecting Prophet Mohammed, resulting in riots across various parts of the country. Several Islamic nations issued statements condemning Sharma and the Indian Government. In response, the BJP expelled Nupur Sharma from the party, and she continues to reside in an undisclosed location due to ongoing threats to her life. Additionally, multiple FIRs were filed against her. Tragically, in the aftermath, several Hindus who voiced their support for Sharma were singled out and subjected to brutal violence. Among the victims of this extremist hatred were Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan and Umesh Kohle in Maharashtra.
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