The Uttar Pradesh police have so far arrested over 48 people accused of violence in the protests that erupted across various parts of the state, including Saharanpur.
Speaking to ANI, Akash Tomar, senior superintendent of police in Saharanpur said that they are not ruling out the involvement of the Popular Front of India (PFI).
“The manner in which crowd took to the streets after Friday namaz, it definitely seems that some people had planned, we have even identified some of them,” police officer Tomar said, adding, “PFI involvement hasn’t come to the fore yet but it can’t be ruled out. Checking possible involvement of all extremist organisations through surveillance and manual intelligence.”
Warning that strict action will be taken against the rioters, the senior police officer said, “We have registered four FIRs. One FIR pertains to the raising of provocative slogans, remaining 3 relates to illegal protest march.”
Cities of Saharanpur and Prayagraj districts took a violent turn on June 10, after the Friday prayers when a large crowd from the Muslim community joined the protests and demanded immediate arrest and capital punishment for the now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her ‘blasphemous’ remarks on Prophet Muhammad on May 26 during a prime-time news show conducted by Times Now Group Editor Navika Kumar.
The BJP leader lost her cool during the discussion that was on the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath issue and uttered insulting statements addressed to the Prophet.
As the situation started swirling out of control with many Islamic countries strongly condemning and protesting against the remarks, the Bharatiya Janata Party, in a bid to control the damage, issued a statement distancing itself from Nupur and terming her as a “fringe element”. The statement further stated that her remarks did not align with the party’s ideology and further added it does not promote such people of philosophy.
Shortly after the statement, the BJP’s national spokesperson, Sharma and Delhi spokesperson, Naveen Jindal was sacked from the party.
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