Protests across India over Prophet remarks

New Delhi/Srinagar:Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and West Bengal among many other states on Friday witnessed massive protests over now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad where demonstrators demanded her arrest. The protestors turned violent in some areas and pelted stones at cops and vandalised public property.

As per sources, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had already issued an advisory to all states to be vigilant for trouble ahead of Friday prayers.

In Delhi, the protesters massed outside the historic Jama Masjid after the Friday prayers demanding the arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

Some of the people, who gathered on the steps of the mosque, carried placards and shouted slogans against Sharma and Naveen Jindal, former head of the Delhi BJP's media unit.

Several students of Jamia Millia Islamia staged a demonstration on the varsity campus here and demanded the arrest of Sharma. They raised slogans and also held placards that read -- 'Blasphemy is RSS's inborn language, Save India from them, Arrest Nupur Sharma' and 'Stop Attacking Muslim'.

In Jharkhand, some policemen were injured while trying to control demonstrators near Hanuman Temple situated on Ranchi's Main Road. Police fired in air and resorted to baton charge to control the protesters who spilled out on the road after the Friday prayers and pelted stones and shouted slogans.

Police officials said the protests were continuing since morning and picked up tempo post-Friday prayers. Many shops and establishments kept their shutters down in protest against the contorversial remarks.

Tension mounted in Jammu's Bhaderwah and some areas of Kishtwar prompting authorities to impose curfew while parts of Kashmir observed a shutdown.

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, officials said.

Sporadic incidents of stone-pelting were reported in Bhaderwah town. Some people, violating restrictions, came out on the streets and threw stones at security forces while raising slogans.

In Srinagar, protests were held at Lal Chowk, Batamaloo, Tengpora and other places with the demonstrators holding placards.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said efforts are on defuse tension in Bhaderwah town and appealed to the people to behave responsibly and not get misled by provocation besides maintaining communal harmony. He said curfew was been imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain peace.