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Day of protests: From Delhi to Ranchi, stir over Prophet remarks rocks India
A curfew was imposed in some parts of Jharkhand's capital Ranchi, while internet services were suspended in West Bengal's Howrah district till 6am of June 13 in the wake of the protests.
Massive protests erupted in several parts of the country on Friday over inflammatory comments by suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled party leader Naveen Kumar Jindal. The agitations turned violent in many states, including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with reports of police firing in the air, shelling tear gas to disperse crowds and resorting to baton-charge to bring the situation under control.
Delhi
In Delhi, nearly 300 people had gathered outside the iconic Jama Masjid after the prayers to protest against Sharma and Jindal's statements on the Prophet. However, the Shahi Imam of the Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, distanced himself from the agitation saying that “nobody knows who the protesters were”. He also demanded action against such agitators. The Delhi Police said that no permission was taken by those who participated in the stir and legal action will be taken against them.
Many students of Jamia Millia Islamia staged a demonstration on the university campus and demanded the arrest of Sharma.
Uttar Pradesh
In the northern state, scenes similar were witnessed. Despite stringent security arrangements ahead of Friday prayers, tension rose in several regions such as Prayagraj, Hathras, Saharanpur, Moradabad and Firozabad, among others. Stones were pelted at police in Prayagraj and Saharanpur, while some cars and motorcycles were set on fire in the former. Police had to use tear gas and resort to lathi charge to disperse the protesters. One policeman was injured in the protest in Prayagraj. Till the time of writing this report, as many as 136 people from violence-hit districts were arrested.
Jharkhand
A curfew under the provision of Section 144 of CrPc was imposed in some parts of the eastern state's capital Ranchi after protests over Prophet remarks turned violent on Friday. The prohibitory order was imposed from Ranchi's Sujata Chowk to Firayalal Chowk on the main road and 500 metres on either side of the street. Gathering of five or more people was also prohibited in the stretch.
Police fired in the air and resorted to lathi charge in the affected regions. According to some sources, quoted by agencies, protesters had also opened fire during the agitation.
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A total of 11 police personnel and 12 protesters were injured in the clashes. “They are being treated at various hospitals. As of now, the situation is under control. Forces deployed. Senior police officers, including IG, superintendents of police, DSPs are camping in the area,” ANI reported quoting the Jharkhand Police.
Drone surveillance was also being conducted in the affected areas to keep an eye on miscreants.
West Bengal
Howrah district of West Bengal was the most-affected region in the eastern state, with protests being reported from Dhulagarh, Panchla and Uluberia as well. Police had to resort to baton-charge to disperse crowds at Dhulagarh and Panchla where protesters pelted stones, causing damage to nearby cars, police said. Several police booths and vehicles were set on fire, and protesters also blocked railway tracks between Fuleswar and Chengail stations in the Howrah-Kharagpur section from 1.22 pm, a South Eastern Railway official said.
Internet services were suspended till 6am of June 13 in Howrah in view of the protests, and several trains were also cancelled.
Gujarat
Protests were held in some regions of Vadodara and Ahmedabad. Shops and markets in Muslim-dominated Karanj and Dariyapur areas of Ahmedabad remained closed, while in Dariyapur, several men and teenagers assembled on a main road with placards proclaiming their love for the Prophet and demanding arrest of Sharma.
Jammu and Kashmir
Tension rose in Jammu's Bhaderwah and some areas of Kishtwar, causing authorities to impose curfew while some parts of Kashmir observed a shutdown. Internet services were snapped in Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and Srinagar as a precautionary measure. In Srinagar, protests emerged in Tengpora, Batamaloo and Lal Chowk, among others.
Other states and UTs
Protests were also reported in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai, Hyderabad in Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. The protesters demanded the arrest of Sharma for her recent comments on the Prophet.
(With inputs from agencies)
