Police personnel maintain law and order during a protest over the controversial remarks by two now-suspended BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammad, after the Friday prayers at Jama Masjid, in New Delhi, Friday, June 10, 2022. (PTI Photo) Days after a brief protest was held at Jama Masjid against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her alleged remarks about Prophet Muhammed, the Delhi Police arrested two men for reportedly protesting without permission and promoting enmity between different groups.
On Friday, a group of over 300 men staged a protest following Friday prayers against Sharma, demanding her arrest. The Delhi Police had earlier said the protest was held without their permission and the men were removed later.
DCP (Central) Shweta Chauhan said two men, identified as Mohd Nadeem, 43, and Faheem Khan, 37, were arrested on Saturday night. The Delhi Police have also added Section 153A (promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the existing First Information Report (FIR) against protesters.
The Delhi Police, as part of their investigation, have found that people were mobilised through WhatsApp groups. “The central district police has got vital details about these groups and is gathering more details,” said a senior police officer.
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DCP (Central) Shweta Chauhan had said a case under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC was registered against unidentified persons. “We will add more sections keeping in view the provocation as witnessed by our police force and in the contents of CCTV footage that have been procured,” she said.
The DCP added: “About 1,500 people had gathered for Friday namaz of which 150 began protesting with placards later. The number then grew to 300. Police peacefully controlled the crowd in 10-15 minutes. Since the protest took place without permission, we will take action against some who were identified. The way people gathered after namaz, with banners and placards, suggests that it was planned.”
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