India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suspended its spokeswoman, Nupur Sharma, after comments she made during a TV debate about the Prophet Mohammed.
In a statement on its website, the BJP said the party respected all religions: "The BJP strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities of any religion."
The suspension came after Ms Sharma's comments prompted complaints from several Muslim countries, including Iran, Qatar and Kuwait.
On Twitter, Ms Sharma admitted she had said some things in response to comments made about a Hindu God but that it was never her intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings.
"If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings, of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement," she said.
Another BJP spokesman, Naveen Jindal, was expelled from the party over comments he made about Islam on social media, the BJP office said.
On Twitter, Mr Jindal said he had questioned some comments made against Hindu Gods: "I only questioned them, but that does not mean I am against any religion."
The BJP's online statement also said: "The Bharatiya Janata Party is also strongly against any ideology [that] insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy."
Several Muslim countries denounced the remarks
In its statement, Pakistan said it condemns, in the "strongest possible terms", the highly derogatory remarks.
In separate statement, the Foreign Affairs ministries of both Qatar and Iran said that they had summoned their Indian ambassadors over the comments.
The State of Kuwait also summoned its Indian ambassador and said it had handed the ambassador a protest note, in which Kuwait rejected and denounced the statements made by the BJP official.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry statement said it welcomed the BJP's decision to suspend the official but said that Qatar was expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks by the Indian government.
The development came at a time when Indian Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu was visiting Doha.
Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also welcomed the decision of the BJP to suspend the party's spokeswoman, "stressing the need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, as a provocation to Muslims' feelings and incitement to religious hatred".
ABC/Reuters
