Prophet remarks row: 227 people arrested in UP so far; Bengal BJP chief stopped from visiting violence-hit Howrah

LUCKNOW: A total of 227 people were arrested from various districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with Friday's violence, a senior police official has said.

Of these people, 68 were arrested from Prayagraj and 50 from Hathras, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said in a statement on Saturday.

Among the rest, 48 people were nabbed in Saharanpur, 28 in Ambedkarnagar, 25 in Moradabad, and eight in Firozabad, he said.

People pelted stones at police personnel in Prayagraj and Saharanpur as people took to rowdiness during their protests after Friday prayers.

At least four other cities witnessed similar scenes during the marches that were carried out to decry the offensive remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

In Prayagraj, the mob set on fire a few motorcycles and carts and also attempted to set ablaze a police vehicle.

Police used tear gas and lathis to disperse the mobs and restored peace, police said.

One police personnel got injured by mob, they said.

Nupur Sharma was suspended by her party after several Islamic nations denounced her comment against the Prophet during a TV debate.

In Saharanpur, protesters shouted slogans against Sharma and demanded death sentence for her.

There were protests in Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, and Lucknow.

Sloganeering took place in Lucknow.

According to the local people, stone pelting continued for over 15 minutes in Prayagraj.

They said a few protesters threw stones at the police team deployed on the main road.

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was on Saturday stopped by the police from visiting violence-affected areas in Howrah district citing the current law and order situation.

Majumdar claimed police erected barricades outside his residence in New Town on the northeastern fringes of Kolkata as he was getting ready to leave for Howrah district.

Protests erupted in several parts of Howrah district on Friday over controversial remarks by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal on Prophet Mohammad.

"I was scheduled to visit areas in Howrah district where our party offices were ransacked and burnt. As I was set to leave, police put up barricades outside my residence and stopped me from coming out of my house," Majumdar told reporters at his residence.

"I want to know under which rule I am being stopped from visiting Howrah," he said.

Senior TMC leader and MLA Tapas Ray alleged that the intention of his visit was to fan communal tension.

"Police did the right thing by stopping him," he said.

However, BJP national vice-president and Majumdar's predecessor Dilip Ghosh managed to enter Howrah district and visit the areas where the party offices were attacked.

"I visited areas where our party offices were ransacked.

The lawless situation here reflects the administration's failure," he said.

Agitators resorted to stone-pelting, setting police vehicles on fire and damaging public property during violent protests and clashes with the law enforcers in the district.

Internet services have been suspended across the district till June 13 and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC imposed in several areas such as Uluberia, Domjur and Panchla till June 15.

Common people had to suffer as road and railway tracks were blocked by protesters in the district.

Several local and express trains were cancelled due to the violence.