UP: Day After Violence Over Prophet Remark, Houses of Accused Razed; Saharanpur Police Arrest 64

In the aftermath of the violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh over recent remarks by now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad, the Saharanpur police on Saturday took to social media to share videos of bulldozers demolishing parts of homes of two of the accused arrested for disturbing the peace and social harmony.

The visuals shared by the police showed cops and municipal teams stationed at the residences of accused Muzammil and Abdul Waqir, with bulldozers razing gates and outer walls of their houses which the police claimed were illegal constructions.

“A joint team of Saharanpur admin, development authority, magistracy, revenue team, municipal corporation & police was made to take action on illegal properties of accused in yesterday’s incident,” Saharanpur SSP Akash Tomar was quoted telling ANI.

The demolished buildings belonged to a Zafar Hayat Hashmi who is the main accused in the violence. In addition, a newly-constructed building

located in Swaroopnagar locality of Kanpur, 3 km away from where the violence took place and owned by one Mohammad Ishtiyaq, who is said to be a close relative of prime accused Zafar Hayat Hashmi was also demolished.

Talking to NDTV, UP Police’s additional director general, Prashant Kumar claimed that the demolition was carried out in accordance with norms and regulations.

He also asserted that the police will take strict action against all the people or groups who have “dared to disturb peace and harmony”, including charging them under the Gangster Act, seizing their properties, and ensuring they pay for damages caused to the private and public property so that such incidents are not repeated.

Uttar Pradesh police said it had arrested 237 people from various districts. In Saharanpur and Prayagraj, police officials said action will be taken against those arrested under the stringent National Security Act. Among those arrested, 68 were held in Prayagraj and 50 in Hathras, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said in a statement on Saturday.

He said 28 in Ambedkarnagar, 25 in Moradabad, eight in Firozabad, and three in Aligarh. UP Chief Minister Adityanath, who has often spoken of how under his rule the state has been rid of frequent riots, issued a stern warning.

“Strictest action will be taken against the anti-social elements involved in the chaotic efforts to spoil the atmosphere in various cities in the past few days,” he said while issuing directives to officials. “There is no place for such anti-social people in a civilised society. No innocent should be harassed, but not a single guilty should be spared,” he said.

Kanpur Violence 

Violence had erupted in parts of Kanpur after Friday prayers as members of two communities indulged in brick-batting and hurled bombs over attempts to shut shops in protest against “insulting” comments on Prophet Mohammed by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a TV debate. The Kotwali police on Tuesday lodged another FIR against people behind two Facebook accounts and three Twitter handles for spreading “fake and inflammatory content” about the June 3 violence, pushing the number of such users booked so far to 13, Pramod Kumar said.

In the latest development to the case,  Moradabad SSP Hemant Kutiyal said that police got 14 days of remand of all the 25 accused in a recent protest over the controversial religious remark.

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