Prophet remarks row: Kanpur violence accused Zafar Hayat Hashmi names builders, politicians in funding

Kanpur: The main accused in the June 3 violence in Kanpur, Zafar Hayat Hashmi, has revealed that his organisation was funded by builders, businessmen and political functionaries. "Hashmi has accepted that he was involved in crowdfunding. Besides, he got a huge amount of money through donations from across the state that came to his Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Fans Association. He also accepted that people from many districts of the state are associated with his organisation," said an IANS report citing a police source. 

With this revelation, the spotlight is now on people in the corridors of power. ATS sources told IANS that there are more than two dozen white-collared people on its radar. Notably, Hashmi and his three aides who, police claim, are members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were taken on remand for further interrogation. 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), meanwhile, has also approached the Kanpur police seeking details of these three PFI members -Saifullah, Mohammad Naseem and Mohammad Umar - who were arrested from Kanpur on June 9.

Officials probing the case reportedly said that while Hashmi revealed the sources of funding, he has maintained silence about questions related to their direct link with the violence on June 3 after Friday prayer. "He also tried to save his skin several times saying that he had withdrawn the call given by him earlier to protest against the insult of the Prophet by the BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma in a news channel debate," the official tol IANS. The other accused arrested along with Hashmi, however, have admitted to being involved in the violence, said the official.

333 arrested in Uttar Pradesh for June 10 violence 

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested 333 people from eight districts of the state in connection with the June 10 violence triggered by the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad by a former BJP spokesperson. Several cities of Uttar Pradesh witnessed stone-pelting and violence on June 10 after protests against now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's alleged derogatory remarks. 

In a statement issued in Lucknow on Monday, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said 333 people have been arrested from eight districts of the state and 13 FIRs registered in this regard in nine districts, adding "92 people have been arrested in Prayagraj, 81 in Saharanpur, 51 in Hathras, 41 in Ambedkar Nagar, 40 in Moradabad, 17 in Firozabad, six in Aligarh and five in Jalaun."

The ADG said that of the 13 cases, three have been registered in Prayagraj and Saharanpur, and one each in Firozabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Moradabad, Hathras, Aligarh, Lakhimpur Kheri and Jalaun

During the violence in Prayagraj and Saharanpur on June 10, mobs pelted stones at police while there were protests in Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur and Lucknow.

(With Agency Inputs)