UP: Two groups clash in Kanpur over BJP leader's remarks on Prophet Muhammad
Kanpur/IBNS: Two groups clashed in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Friday over a call to shut down markets following recent controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson.
One group opposed the shutdown call by the other group, leading to clashes which involved incidents of stone-pelting.
The police had to resort to firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and prevent further violence.
The situation has been now brought under control, according to the police.
The incident happened after Muslim leader Hayat Zafar Hashmi called for a market bandh over Nupur Sharma's remarks, which allegedly hurt the sentiments of Muslims.
A total of 18 people had been detained in view of the clash between two communities, police told the media.
Muslims have been protesting and demanding action against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for some of her comments which have hurt their religious sentiments.
So far, three FIRs have been filed against the BJP leader for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Two cases have been registered in Maharashtra and one in Hyderabad of Telangana.
The first case was registered in Mumbai and the second in Pune. The second case was filed on a complaint by a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader.
In Mumbai, she has been booked under sections 295A, 153A and 505B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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