Kanpur: At least six were injured after violence erupted in Kanpur after prayers as members of two committees pelted stones and hurled bombs at one another over attempts to shut down shops.
“Some young men number 50-100 suddenly stepped out on the streets and started sloganeering. Another group opposed it and it escalated to stone-pelting. Around eight to ten cops were present at the spot then who tried to intervene and controlled the situation to some extent. The control room got informed immediately and senior officials including me reached the spot within 10 minutes. Those who were trying to instigate violence were chased away and we have detained around 15-20 people. We are interrogating them and the police are patrolling the entire area, The situation is under control right now. As per information received so far, two people have been hurt,” Mr Meena, Kanpur police commissioner. The police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd that accommodated during the protests that broke out in Pared, Nai Sadak and Yateemkhana areas of Kanpur.
The protests came in the light of the anti-Mohammad remarks by BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a television debate recently. Heavy police forces have been deployed in the affected area.
Some local leaders, including Maulana Mohammed Ali (MMA) Jauhar Fans Association chief Hayat Zafar Hashmi, had called for the closure of shops on Friday in protest against the remarks. They had also taken out a procession during which they confronted members of other communities, an official said, adding that as a result of which clashes broke out.