Far-right Dutch leader who backed Nupur Sharma over ‘Prophet’ remark wins polls

Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders, who supported suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad, was set for a major victory in the Netherlands parliamentary election, exit polls showed.

Wilders, who is known for his anti-Islam stances and vowed to halt immigration to the Netherlands, defied predictions and his Freedom Party (PVV) was projected to win 35 out of 150 seats, according to the exit polls, news agency Reuters reported.

The party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose coalition government collapsed in July and resulted in the snap election, was in third place at 23 seats, according to the exit polls. When all votes are counted, it would officially mark the end of Rutte’s 13-year rule.

Exit polls in the Netherlands are generally reliable with a margin of error of roughly two seats.

BACKED NUPUR SHARMA

Wilders had earlier defended Sharma for her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammad during a television show last year, which drew condemnation from the Gulf countries. Sharma had made those remarks in connection with the brutal murder of a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur by two Muslim men.

In an interview with India Today TV last year, Wilders criticised the statement released by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) slamming India after Nupur Sharma made anti-Prophet remarks.

“I would say look at yourself in the mirror before you decide what you think about India or any other country. The OIC released a declaration about human rights and all these nations are attacking India. They put Sharia law above democracy and human rights,” Wilders told India Today News Director Rahul Kanwal.

He said the OIC countries were the most intolerant nations having the worst records on human rights.

“If you are a minority in those countries, you are persecuted and taken to jail. You lose freedom. India is a sovereign nation. We should not allow being lectured by them,” he added.

Wilders’ anti-Islam views have resulted in death threats and he has been living under a blanket of heavy police protection for the last couple of years.

He earlier called Prophet Mohammad a “paedophile”, Islam a “fascist ideology” and a “backward religion”. He is in favour of the banning of mosques and the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, in the Netherlands.

In a victory address after the exit polls were announced, Wilders said he would bring an end to a “tsunami of asylum and immigration”.

During campaigning, Wilders toned down his usual anti-Islam rhetoric and focused more on the Dutch people’s concerns about the cost of living and overburdened health infrastructure.