Protests break out in several states over BJP leaders' remarks on Prophet Mohammed

Protests erupted in several parts of the country on Friday demanding the arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed with police opening fire in the air in Ranchi and Kashmir witnessed a shutdown and authorities imposing curfew in some areas.

Demonstrations were held in Delhi, several parts of Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka among other places. In Delhi, a group of AIMIM supporters also staged a protest against the filing of an FIR against party chief Asaduddin Owaisi in connection with social media posts.

Read | Protests in UP cities over Prophet remark, stone-pelting in Prayagraj

Some police personnel were injured in Jharkhand's Ranchi as they tried to control an angry crowd protesting near Hanuman Temple in Ranchi's Main Road. Police fired in the air and resorted to baton charge after a large number of people took to the streets after Friday prayers.

The protesters shouted slogans demanding the arrest of Nupur Sharma and others who were accused of denigrating Prophet Mohammed and pelted stones, police said. New Daily Market Traders Welfare Association President Haji Md Hasim said more than 1,100 shops in the Ranchi market were shut since morning in protest.

Around 50 protesters were arrested from several parts of Uttar Pradesh, as they resorted to stone pelting and slogan shouting. A number of police personnel were injured as the protestors torched a PAC truck at Atala area in Prayagraj and a motorcycle. In several places, protesters also forced shopkeepers to down their shutters.

Protests were also reported from Lucknow, Saharanpur, Deoband, Firozabad, Hathras, Moradabad and some other places. In Prayagraj, police fired rubber bullets to disperse the protestors. Additional Director General of Police Prem Prakash was injured in the stone pelting.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath sought a report from the home department on the protests and directed the police to identify the protestors and take stern action against them.

Protests erupted in several Maharashtra towns, including Aurangabad, Solapur, Parbhani, Parbhani, Jalna and Panvel. In Aurangabad, AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel joined the protests.

In Delhi, a group of people protested outside the historic Jama Masjid after Friday prayers, shouting slogans against the suspended BJP leader. While a group of protesters left the venue after some time, others continued the protest peacefully.

The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid said that the Jama Masjid committee had not called for any protest and on Thursday, when people were planning to protest, they had clearly said to them that there is no call for the protest from their side.

Read | Protest erupts outside Jama Masjid demanding Nupur Sharma's arrest

In a separate protest on inclusion of Owaisi in an FIR, 33 people were detained during their demonstration outside Parliament Street police station an FIR was registered for disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant.

Jammu and Kashmir also witnessed protests with authorities imposing curfew in Doda and Kishtwar districts besides suspending internet in Bhaderwah and other parts of Kashmir. Sporadic incidents of stone-pelting were reported in Bhaderwah town but none was injured.

Officials said 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, PTI reported.

(With inputs from Sanjay Pandey in Lucknow and Mrityunjay Bose in Mumbai)