Geert Wilders, Far-Right Leader Who Backed BJP's Nupur Sharma, Likely To Be Dutch PM: All About Him

<p>Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders, who defended now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed, is likely to become the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands.&nbsp;Wilders' Party for Freedom, the third-largest party in the country, is on course for a massive victory in the parliamentary election.</p> <p>According to the exit poll published by national broadcaster NOS, Wilders' Party for Freedom is likely to win 35 seats in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament. It is more than double what he won in the last election.</p> <p>However, the firebrand leader, known for his vehement criticism of Islam, has to now cobble up a broad enough coalition to form a stable government.</p> <p>In his party's manifesto, Wilders has called for bans on mosques, the Quran and Islamic headscarves in government buildings, according to a report in The Guardian. However, the Dutch leader has softer on Islam during his election campaign than in the past.</p> <p>His election campaign focused on calls for a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union and a total stoppage on accepting asylum seekers. "The Dutch will be No. 1 again...The people must get their nation back," Wilders had said during campaigning, AP reported.</p> <h3><span style="color: #ba372a;"><strong>Who Is Geert Wilders?</strong></span></h3> <p>Born on September 6, 1963, Geert Wilders is known for his inflammatory views on Islam and has been under heavy police protection since 2004. He has been a leader in the House of Representatives since 1998.</p> <p>Wilders has often been compared to former US President Donald Trump for his swept-back blonde hairstyle and also for his strong views against immigrants.</p> <p>In fact, in 2020, he was convicted for insulting Moroccans during a campaign rally, when he asked the crowd whether they wanted more, or fewer Moroccans.&nbsp;Wilders had then said he was a victim of a "witch hunt" and a broken legal system.</p> <h3><span style="color: #ba372a;"><strong>What Wilders Said While Backing Nupur Sharma</strong></span></h3> <p>In 2022, Wilders grabbed headlines after he extended his support to Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who drew flak due to her remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I thought India had no sharia courts. <br /><br />She should never apologize for speaking the truth about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Muhammad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Muhammad</a>. She is not responsible for Udaipur. Radical intolerant jihadi Muslims are responsible and nobody else.<br /><br />NupurSharma is a hero. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NupurSharma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NupurSharma</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IsupportNupurSharma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IsupportNupurSharma</a></p> &mdash; Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) <a href="https://twitter.com/geertwilderspvv/status/1542785459750830080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <p> <script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script> </p> <p>Taking to X, Wilders had said, "Never give in to Islamic terrorists like Al-Qaida, they represent barbarism. The whole Indian nation should rally around #napursharma now and support her. Al Qaida and the Taliban put me on their hitlist years ago. One lesson: never bow for terrorists. Never."&nbsp;In another post on X, Wilders termed Nupur Sharma &ldquo;a hero&rdquo;.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">If secularism means appeasement there is no rule of law.<br /><br />Defend your values <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> and my Hindu friends. ❤️<br /><br />Never tolerate the intolerable. <br /><br />Democracy and freedom need to be protected every day again.</p> &mdash; Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) <a href="https://twitter.com/geertwilderspvv/status/1543254599565467648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <p> <script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script> </p> <p>&ldquo;If secularism means appeasement there is no rule of law. Defend your values #India and my Hindu friends. Never tolerate the intolerable. Democracy and freedom need to be protected every day again,&rdquo; Wilders said in another post on X.</p>

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