Nupur Sharma Remarks on Prophet: Know Why PM Modi seems to be cautious against the gulf countries

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• Jun 7, 2022 | Poonam Nath

An uproar has emerged over BJP officials' alleged anti-Muslim statements. There are campaigns to boycott Indian items on social media in Gulf countries.

Digital Desk: A buzz is ongoing in the countries over an alleged statement made by BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad.

The present situation is creating havoc, upturning the religious sentiments as social media campaigns are being run in Gulf countries to boycott Indian products.

However, it's a great stir-up because India's problems in the territory may worsen if tension rises.

The alleged remarks of BJP leaders against Prophet Muhammad are not being treated calmly. The BJP has suspended Nupur Sharma as its spokesperson, and Delhi unit media chief Naveen Jindal has been expelled from the party. 

According to critics, the BJP has taken action against its own leaders in response to protests from Gulf countries. Despite this, a social media campaign to boycott Indian products in Gulf countries is underway. 

The question that emerges as an important topic is whether these Gulf countries are how much consequential to India.

Will PM Modi's strategic plans work as the heat stirs up? Can he turn the table and solve the issues between India and the Gulf countries?

The Gulf countries are home to 89 lakh Indians. Indians make up 34.6 per cent of the UAE's population. There are a total of 34,25,144 Indians in the city.

 Similarly, the Indian population in Saudi Arabia is 25,94,947, accounting for 7.5 percent of the total population. Kuwait has 10,29,861 Indians, accounting for 24.1 percent of the total population. 

Likewise, the Indian population in Oman is 7,81,141, accounting for 15.3 percent of the total population. The Indian population in Qatar is 7,46,550, accounting for 25.9 percent of the total population. Indians make up 19.2 percent of Bahrain's total population.

Well, to inform you all, the United Arab Emirates is India's third-largest trading partner.

Here are some key points :

In 2019-2020, India exported $28,853.6 million to the UAE, 9.2 percent of India's total exports.

Similarly, exports to Saudi Arabia account for two percent of the country's total exports.

India exported $2,261.8 million to Oman, $1,878.2 million to Iraq, $1,286.6 million to Kuwait, $1,268.4 million to Qatar, $960.7 million to Jordan, $559.1 million to Bahrain, and $204 million to Lebanon in 2019-20.

Have you ever wondered what if the crude oil stops entering Indian territory and where does the crude oil come from? 

India imports roughly 85 percent of its crude oil needs. But, again, the Gulf states play the most significant role in this. 

In March, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Parliament that India requires 5 million barrels of oil per day, 60% of which comes from Gulf countries. 

In 2019, Iraq accounted for 22% of India's crude oil imports. Saudi Arabia received 19%, the UAE received 9%, Nigeria received 8%, Venezuela received 7%, Kuwait received 5%, the United States received 4%, Mexico received 4%, and Iran received 2%.

Every year, Indians from all over the world send $80 billion to the country.

In 2018, half of this money came from just five Gulf countries.

The majority of Indians send money to Kerala.

In recent years, the share of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar has also increased rapidly.

The Gulf and Muslim countries are outraged by the BJP leader's alleged remarks against Prophet Mohammad. UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Bahrain, Indonesia, and the Maldives have opposed the statement of BJP leaders and demanded action.

If India wants to associate with the gulf countries, the gulfs need Indians too; know here why? 

If India necessitates the Gulf countries, then the Gulf countries require India as well.

After the United States, the UAE is India's second-largest export destination and third-largest trading partner.

In 2021-22, bilateral trade between the two countries was worth $72.9 billion.

The two countries' total trade will reach $100 billion by 2026.

The Gulf nation relies on India for food and grain imports.

Social media heat chase: 

A row erupted on Monday over a BJP official's remarks about the Prophet Mohammed, and a Kuwaiti supermarket pulled Indian products from its shelves. At the same time, Iran became the latest Middle Eastern country to summon India's ambassador.

On the other hand, Qatar Airways has become one of the companies that Twitteratis wants to see banned in India because the company is from the Middle East.

A recent report unveiled that the International oil prices rose on Monday, with Brent exceeding $120 per barrel after Saudi Arabia raised prices for its crude sales in July, signaling tight supply despite OPEC+'s agreement to accelerate output increases over the next two months. 

Nupur Sharma is now under Delhi police protection.

Also Read: Nupur Sharma is to be summoned by the Mumbai Police over comments about prophets