Protests erupt in W UP after namaz, 21 held in Saharanpur
POLICE USE MILD LATHICHARGE TO DISPERSE CROWDS IN SAHARANPUR, MORADABAD
MEERUT: Large crowds gathered after the Friday namaz in Saharanpur, Deoband and Moradabad to protest against the alleged inflammatory remarks made by former BJP functionary Nurpur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed. The protests were largely peaceful with people coming out on roads in the Nawabganj area of Saharanpur, Deoband and Moradabad after offering prayers. Authorities had already made elaborate security arrangements around all the prominent mosques in the cities of western UP, including Meerut and Saharanpur, after a call for widespread protests was given via social media by anonymous and unidentified people.
Angry protestors demanded the arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and vented anger by raising the slogan “Nupur ko Faansi do (hang Nupur)”. Police and protestors entered into a mild scuffle in Deoband. Police had to resort to lathicharge in the Nawabganj area of Saharanpur to disperse the protesters. “A group of protestors gathered and engaged in sloganeering, and we had to use mild force to disperse them,” said SSP Akash Tomar.
SSP added, “As many as 21 persons have been arrested in Saharanpur district for taking part in the protests without seeking permission. An FIR was being registered and strict action would be taken against the protestors.”
A big crowd of protestors also came out on the roads of Moradabad after namaz and raised slogans against the alleged inflammatory remarks made by former BJP functionaries. “Police used mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd in Moradabad,” officials said.
The situation remained relatively peaceful in Meerut where a huge crowd turned up to offer Friday prayers in Jama Masjid and other mosques in the district. City Qazi Zainus Sajidin expressed his dismay over the alleged inflammatory remarks and demanded legal action against the accused. Nayab Shahar Qazi Zainus Rashidi said that they wanted to give a memorandum to the district authorities after the namaz but officials arrived at his home on Thursday night itself and collected the memorandum.
Nayab Qazi said, “We don’t want to respond to the call for protest from an anonymous source because our priority was to maintain peace and harmony.”
Nayab Qazi is also the city president of Jamiat Ulma -IHind, and a delegation of the organisation is likely to give another memorandum to the authorities on Friday evening to push their demand for legal action against Nupur Sharma and others who made alleged objectionable remarks about Prophet Mohammad.