By PTI
KOLKATA: Hundreds of protesters on Friday blocked roads in different parts of Howrah district of West Bengal over controversial remarks made by two now-suspended BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammad, police said.
The agitators clashed with police personnel at Dhulagarh, Panchla and Uluberia when they tried to lift the blockade on National Highway-6, a police officer said.
The two saffron party leaders should be immediately arrested for their remarks that have hurt religious sentiments, one of the protesters said.
Police had to baton-charge to disperse the crowd at Dhulagarh and Panchla, where the demonstrators pelted stones in retaliation, causing damage to nearby cars, the officer said.
The protesters also blocked railway tracks between Fuleswar and Chengail stations in the Howrah-Kharagpur section from 1.22 pm, a South Eastern Railway official said.
Bengal Imams Association president Md Yahia said it had called for protests inside mosques across the state, demanding the arrest of the two BJP leaders, but said the administration is free to take action against people who are blocking roads and inconveniencing the public.
Demanding immediate arrest of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her alleged objectionable remarks on Prophet Mohammad, members of the Muslim community held protests in some areas of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad and Vadodara on Friday.
Shops and markets in Muslim-dominated Dariyapur and Karanj areas here remained shut as part of the protest.
In Dariyapur, several Muslim men and teenagers gathered on a main road with placards proclaiming love for Prophet Mohammad and demanding the arrest of Sharma.
They said Sharma, and others who make such statements, must be charged under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Former councillor Hasan Khan Pathan said Sharma’s remarks had hurt Muslims across the world but the government was yet to take any action against her.
“There was no bandh call from any Muslim outfit today, but people voluntarily shut their shops out of anger, and many have come out on the streets to protest,” Pathan told reporters.
Police officials said shops in most parts of the old city remained open and the day went off normally in other Muslim-dominated areas, such as Kalupur.
“Almost 80 per cent shops in Kalupur were open. Our teams are patrolling the area. There have been no incidents of any unrest during the day,” said Zone III Deputy Commissioner of Police Sushil Agraval.
In Gorwa area of Vadodara city, Muslim men and children gathered near a road and shouted slogans against Sharma.
