States crack down on deadly Friday clashes

Several cities across the country remained on edge on Saturday as authorities cracked down on people involved in violent protests over comments made by former Bharatiya Janata Party spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal against Prophet Mohammed.

Clashes were reported in Howrah and Murshidabad in West Bengal for the second consecutive day on Saturday, even as reports emerged that two people who sustained gunshot wounds during police firing in Ranchi in Jharkhand succumbed to injuries.

A total of 255 people were arrested from several towns in Uttar Pradesh, about 100 in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, 150 in Ranchi and 70 in Howrah. Arrests were also made in Uddham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand and Belagavi in Karnataka.

In UP, police officials said that the people involved in violence during the protests in Saharanpur and Prayagraj will be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

“Cases have been lodged and those who indulged in violence will be booked under stringent National Security Act,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Among those arrested, 68 were held in Prayagraj and 50 in Hathras, additional director general of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar said in a statement on Saturday. He said 64 people were arrested in Saharanpur, 28 in Ambedkarnagar, 27 in Moradabad, 13 in Firozabad, three in Aligarh and two in Jalaun.

In a related development, the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) demolished a multi-storey building owned by an aide of the main accused in last week’s violence over Sharma’s comments.

Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Anand Prakash Tiwari said that the KDA has demolished a four-storey residential building owned by one Mohammad Ishtiyaq, who is said to be a close aide of prime accused Zafar Hayat Hashmi. At least 40 people were injured in the violence that broke out in Kanpur on June 3 after some people gathered demanding strict action against Sharma over her comments.

Similar action was taken in Saharanpur, where a ward councillor, Mansoor Badar said, “If someone has taken law in hands than he should be punished through judicial procedure. It seems that bulldozing houses of a few arrested persons was done to create fear in Muslim community. If the construction was illegal then it should have been taken into notice earlier.”

Ranchi superintendent of police Hitendra Birua said three FIRs have been lodged and teams have been formed to search for the accused. The district administration has also suspended internet services for an indefinite period, officials said.

Mohammad Mudassir Kaifi, 22, who had gunshot wounds on his head, and 24-year-old Mohammad Sahil, with bullet injuries on neck, died during treatment, an official of state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences said in Ranchi. “Both were residents of Ranchi,” he said, adding that eight others are in the ICU.

Fresh violence was reported in Panchal Bazaar area in West Bengal’s Howrah district and Beldanga in Murshidabad district, as protesters clashed with police, and set ablaze several houses. The protesters also vandalised an office of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In Panchla, protesters hurled stones and bricks at police who retaliated by firing tear gas shells to disperse the mob. In Beldanga, stones were pelted at a police station.

Internet services have also been suspended in Howrah and Murshidabad till June 13 and 14 respectively to prevent “spread of misinformation”, and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in several areas, including Uluberia, Domjur and Panchla till June 15.

The state government also effected a police reshuffle in Howrah, appointing Praveen Tripathi, additional commissioner of Kolkata Police, the new Commissioner of Police of Howrah City and other officers.

The state also witnessed drama when Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was arrested on Saturday afternoon while on his way to Howrah district. “His visit could have created a law and order situation. This is a preventive arrest,” PTI reported a senior police officer as saying.

Majumdar, the MP of Balurghat in Uttar Dinajpur, said the situation in West Bengal was fast turning into that in Kashmir. “They want me to give in writing about my destination, which, I refused. It is my right to visit an affected area,” he said.

Following Majumdar’s arrest, BJP leaders and workers hit the streets in Kolkata, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Birbhum and Jalpaiguri districts.

BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, however, managed to enter Howrah and visit the areas where offices of his party were attacked.

In Delhi, the police registered a case in connection with Friday’s protest outside Jama Masjid under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and further investigation is underway, deputy commissioner of police (central) Shweta Chauhan said.

In Jammu and Kashmir, a Kashmiri YouTuber was arrested in Srinagar on charges of breaching public tranquillity and causing fear in the public after he posted a video depicting the beheading of an effigy of Sharma on social media platforms. He has since deleted the video and tendered an apology.

Curfew remained imposed in parts of Chenab valley in Jammu after violent protests, while a day-long shutdown was called by some Muslim bodies.

Broadband and mobile internet services remained suspended in several areas, including Bhaderwah and Kishtwar towns, as a precautionary measure.

Chief ministers in affected states called for peace and held meetings to review the security situation.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that the toughest action will be taken against those involved. “There is no place for such anti-social people in a civilised society. No innocent should be harassed, but not a single guilty should be spared,” he said.

In Jharkhand, chief minister Hemant Soren formed a two-member committee, comprising senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal and additional director general of police Sanjay Latkar to investigate the violence that left two people dead and at least 24 people injured, a senior official said.

BJP leader and Karntaka CM Basavaraj Bommai said that the situation in the state is peaceful and police have been instructed to deploy forces in sensitive areas.

Urging the Muslim community not to block major roads and highways, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “There are some political parties behind this who want to cause riots. But these things will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against those who indulged in violence.”

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar asked the state police to remain alert, apprehending violence.

Following remonstrations by several Muslim-majority nations from West Asia and Southeast Asia, Sharma was suspended and Jindal expelled by the BJP earlier this week. The Indian government said the remarks by individuals denigrating the religious personality “do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India”.