Can BJP leaders' remarks on Prophet affect India's trade ties with Gulf?

India's relations with West Asian countries have been shaped by energy, trade

At a time when trade with countries in the Gulf is picking up after a brief let-up, controversial remarks made by the now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Prophet Muhammad have stirred a debate on whether they could possibly affect India’s ongoing trade negotiations with nations in West Asia.

Saudi Arabia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Yemen, Oman, among other Islamic nations, have censured the alleged Islamophobic remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal last week during a television debate.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation — the collective voice of