Random protests in Firozabad
We don’t want to respond to the call for protest from an anonymous source because our priority was to maintain peace and harmony.
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.
AGRA : Despite appeals by ulema (senior Muslim clerics) on Thursday to not gather after Friday namaz, there were random protests in Firozabad city of Agra division. Many of the ‘ namazis’ came with black bands tied to their arms to register their protest.
Such protests were held at Nal Bandan and Jatavpuri in Firozabad but presence of heavy force kept the situation under control. Those gathering for Friday ‘namaz’ returned to their localities but staged protest later in the day after 3 pm.
Some of the protestors moved towards the busy AgraKanpur highway after ‘Juma namaz’ but police were alert and traffic was diverted from Raja Ka Tal. Cops had to struggle but later restored traffic movement as the situation came under control.
Some protestors were taken into custody although police officials did not confirm this..
“The situation is well under control after random protests at two or three places in the city area, although there were no protests in the rural belt of Firozabad district. Exact details are not available about those taken into custody as the focus is on maintaining law and order in Firozabad district,” said Akhilesh Narain, superintendent of police (rural) Firozabad.
Owners of glass industries and shopkeepers played safe and many units and markets dominated by Muslims remained closed on Friday. Muslim labourers had sought a day’s leave for Friday to be part of protest. Posters were pasted in the city urging Muslims to be part of Friday protests.
However, the district administration and police were already on the alert after protest march by Muslim women in Rasoolpur area on Thursday. A group of clerics also reached the office of SSP Firozabad Ashish Tiwari and handed over a memorandum addressed to the President of India seeking stringent action against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for objectionable comment against Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate last month.
Two companies of PAC and 2000 cops were deployed in Firozabad on Friday and drones and CCTV cameras were also put to use..
With tempers running high in Firozabad on Thursday, police and administration of the other districts of Agra and Aligarh division geared up preventive measures and consequently Aligarh, Agra, Kasganj, Mathura, Etah, Mainpuri were peaceful, although some protests were reported after Friday ‘namaz’ in Hathras.
In Aligarh, district magistrate Indra Vikram Singh and SSP Aligarh Kalanidhi Naithani led the police team through market areas. Flag march was conducted on roads adjoining Jama Masjid area in Agra before Friday ‘namaz’.