New Delhi, The controversy surrounding the controversial remarks of the BJP leader on Prophet Mohammad has now spread across the country. Violence broke out across the country after Friday prayers. From Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand to Prayagraj, Saharanpur, Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal, Belgani in Karnataka, Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, Ludhiana in Punjab and Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad, Solapur in Maharashtra, Muslims in cities etc. violently demonstrated. In many places, the police had to resort to baton and there are reports of firing in at least two cities. Rioters burnt PAC’s car in Prayagraj.
Violent protests erupted after Namaz on Friday in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. The protesters resorted to stone pelting and arson. Stones were also thrown at the police who arrived to handle the situation. Several police officers have been injured, while a teenager has died. A total of 12 people have been injured in Ranchi, out of which seven people have received bullet injuries. Curfew has been imposed in Ranchi to handle the situation. Bihar’s Road Construction Minister Nitin Naveen was also attacked by rioters. His car has been vandalized. When people hid in the Hanuman temple after saving their lives, the rioters also pelted stones on the temple. More than five thousand shops remained closed in Ranchi. Police is patrolling all over the city and monitoring is being done with drone cameras.
Hundreds of people stood outside and started shouting slogans after Friday prayers at Jama Masjid in the capital Delhi. The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid said that no protest has been asked from his side. Meanwhile, in Belagavi, Karnataka, demonstrations took place at several places on Friday and near a mosque on Fort Road, an effigy of BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who was removed from an electric wire, was hanging. Demonstrations also took place in Srinagar and other cities of Kashmir and the protesters appealed to bring the head of Nupur Sharma, who made controversial remarks, beheaded.
In West Bengal, in the capital Kolkata and Howrah, protesters raised slogans on the streets. The people involved in the crowd created a ruckus over the closure of the shops, after which the police had to use tear gas shells. When the protest in the garden turned violent, the police had to open fire. On the other hand, a protest against the controversial statement of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma took place outside Mecca Masjid in Telangana’s capital Hyderabad. Later, the police removed the people by using sticks. Protesters took to the streets and raised slogans after prayers in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh and also in Ludhiana in Punjab. There were also protests on Friday in cities like Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Solapur, Aurangabad etc. of Maharashtra.
