The Trinamul Congress on Tuesday asked why the government had taken no action against the BJP’s “fringe elements” who had made remarks against Prophet Mohammed and accused the spokesperson for the external affairs ministry of trying to cover up the issue that led several Muslim majority countries in West Asia to criticise the Indian government and boycott Indian products.

“The spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs has tried to cover up the incident by saying that stringent measures have been taken against fringe elements who denigrated the Prophet. My question is whether he has spoken as a spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs or represented the BJP,” Trinamul’s national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy told a news conference at Trinamul Bhavan in Calcutta on Tuesday.

Roy said there were two major sections in the Indian Penal Code to be invoked against such offenders, still, the government hadn’t done anything.

“Whatever action has been taken to cover up the episode, it was taken by the BJP. The party’s national spokesperson (Nupur Sharma) has been suspended and the Delhi spokesperson (Naveen Kumar Jindal) expelled from the party. Where is the administrative action? What is the government’s action?” he added.

The Trinamul leader said the statements by the BJP spokespersons had for the first time since Independence triggered such adverse reactions from Gulf countries. He also said the diplomatic crisis would put trade between these countries at a stake.