Prophet row: Protests erupt in UP, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata after Friday namaz; 109 arrested so far

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Prophet row: Massive protests broke out over remarks made by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma in several parts of the country on Friday. Reports of stone-pelting and police officers getting injured have also come to the fore. Till 7.30 pm on Friday, a total of 109 people were arrested for protests across the country. The division of arrests is Saharanpur (38),  Prayagraj (15), Hathras (24), Moradabad (07), Ferozabad (2) and  Ambedkarnagar (23).

The state of UP was riddled with protests across Lucknow, Prayagraj, Deoband and Moradabad over the same issue. In UP's Saharanpur, locals tried to march towards the Ghantaghar after Friday prayers in the Nawabganj area. To contain the situation, cops resorted to baton-charge to disperse the crowd. The situation was tense but it got controlled at the moment.   

There were also reports of a few policemen being injured while controlling an irate mob near Hanuman Temple in Ranchi after protests erupt against Prophet remarks, said police. 

Jama Masjid, Delhi

On Friday, protests broke out on the premises of Delhi's Jama Masjid over remarks made by now-suspended BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal against Prophet Mohammad. Thousands of protestors, including children, were on the premises of the mosque. Protests erupted after Friday prayers.  

Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid later clarified that no call for the protests was made by Masjid authorities. "We don't know who are the ones protesting, I think they belong to AIMIM or are Owaisi's people. We made it clear that if they want to protest, they can, but we will not support them," he said.

Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh   

A senior official at the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters in Lucknow said sloganeering took place in Saharanpur, Moradabad, Rampur and Lucknow. People raised slogans and pelted stones in the Atala area of Prayagraj after the Friday prayers ended.  

A heavy police force was deployed in the area to ensure law and order. Senior police and administrative officials had also reached the spot. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Parashant Kumar said: "The reports of stone-pelting in Prayagraj are being looked into." 

Ranchi, Jharkhand

A few policemen were injured here on Friday while trying to control an irate mob near Hanuman Temple, situated on Ranchi's Main Road, after protests erupted with hundreds of people demanding the arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad, police said. 

Apart from lathi-charge, cops even fired in the air to control the mob, which spilled out on the road after Friday prayers and pelted stones and shouted slogans.

West Bengal

In Bengal's Howrah, there was a huge protest over inflammatory remarks by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal. A large police team was also present at the spot. Internet services have been suspended till 6 am on June 13 in Howrah district in wake of the anti-Prophet remark.

Telangana 

Many people protested outside Mecca Masjid in Telangana. Meanwhile, cops intervened and controlled the protesting crowd. Police deployment has also been increased in the area.

Jammu and Kashmir

The authorities in Jammu imposed a curfew in a few areas while parts of Kashmir observed a shutdown. This order came after protests rocked the Valley over now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's Prophet remark. Protests broke out across various states on Friday, including outside Delhi's Jama Masjid. 

Tension mounted in Jammu's Bhaderwah and some areas of Kishtwar prompting authorities to impose a curfew while parts of Kashmir observed a shutdown. Internet services were snapped in the Bhaderwah and Kishtwar towns and Srinagar city of Kashmir as a precautionary measure. Mobile Internet was also suspended in parts of Kashmir, officials said.

Bihar

Protests broke out in at least three districts of Bihar on Friday over derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed by BJP's suspended spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal. Processions were taken out, after the Friday namaaz, in Bhojpur, Muzaffarpur and Nawada districts where the protestors blocked roads for several hours, police said. 

In Arrah, the town where Bhojpur is headquartered, slogans were raised in the vicinity of Badi Masjid, demanding the arrest of Sharma and Jindal. According to the Town police station in-charge Ram Vilas Chaudhary, the protesters, who marched from Badi Masjid to Gopali Chowk, did not indulge in violence but raised "inflammatory slogans with religious overtones", which triggered tension in the area, prompting many shopkeepers to down their shutters.

(With inputs from India TV's Vishal Pratap Singh and agencies)

Also Read: Prophet row: Massive protests erupt at Delhi's Jama Masjid after namaz; Shahi Imam blames Owaisi