The police in many of the states that saw violent protests said the role of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) cannot be ruled out.
Lucknow/Kolkata: A day after violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj over ousted BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad, the SSP said one of the masterminds behind the violence has been detained and at least 5,000 unnamed accused have been named in FIRs. Meanwhile, in West Bengal, the police have clamped Section 144 in Howrah’s Uluberia till 7am on Monday over similar protests.
Although there is no strong evidence till yet, the police in many of the states that saw violent protests said the role of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) cannot be ruled out.
Speaking to the media, Prayagraj SSP Ajay Kumar said, “Mastermind (of Friday’s violence) Javed Ahmed has been detained. We suspect there could be more masterminds. The anti-social elements used minor kids to hurl stones at the police and the administration. Cases have been registered under 29 crucial sections and action will be taken under the Gangster Act and NSA.”
Kumar added, “Javed’s daughter, a student in Delhi, is also involved in such activities. If need be, we will contact the Delhi Police and send our teams.”
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Kumar added, “There are at least 70 named accused and over 5,000 unnamed accused. No connection established yet. Names of some people from AIMIM have surfaced and we are gathering evidence for the same.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the officials to take strict action against the anti-social elements. Till Saturday morning, as many as 227 people were arrested and heavy deployment of police were seen in several pockets of the state on Saturday morning.
In West Bengal’s Howrah district’s Uluberia, which saw heightened protests on Friday, the police have clamped Section 144 till 7 am on Monday. Internet services have been suspended across the district too. An order undersigned by the Uluberia Sub-Divisional Officer said, “Information has been received from credible sources that violent agitations and road blockades are likely to take place in and around the stretches of the National Highways and Railway Stations…resulting in large scale disturbance of the public tranquility and breach of the peace…”
On Friday, Major Indian cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ranchi, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Prayagraj and several others saw huge protests over the remarks made by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and suspended Delhi BJP media head Naveen Kumar Jindal. The remarks made by the two leaders sparked a controversy in India and abroad with many Islamic nations condemning the leaders and seeking action against them.
