Prophet row: Summons galore against Nupur Sharma, sporadic incidents in Bengal

New Delhi, Jun 13: Suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, in the eye of a storm over her remarks against Prophet Mohammad, Monday sought time to appear before the Maharashtra police to record her statement, while more than 300 people have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh in a crackdown on protesters who indulged in violence after the Friday prayers on June 10.

The violence-hit districts of West Bengal were, meanwhile, slowly returning to normalcy but sporadic incidents were reported from some places despite heavy police presence. Train services were affected on the Sealdah-Hashnabad section of the Eastern Railway in the morning after protesters blocked the railway tracks, officials said. Tyres were set ablaze and Sharma's effigies were burnt as protesters blocked the tracks.

"Services were affected for around 20 minutes. Heavy police deployment is in place around the Hashnabad station in North 24 Parganas," a senior official said.

Parts of Howrah, Murshidabad and Nadia districts resembled garrison towns, teeming with men and women in uniform as Section 144 CrPC was in force in some localities. A police official in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district said Sharma was granted time to appear before them but did not specify when she has been asked to present herself.

The Bhiwandi police had registered a case against Sharma over her remarks about the Prophet made during a TV debate following a complaint lodged by a representative of the Raza Academy on May 30, he said.

The Mumbra police in Thane have also asked Sharma to appear before them on June 22, while the Mumbai Police have summoned her to record her statement on June 25.

Amid mounting troubles for the now sacked BJP national spokesperson, the Kolkata Police on Monday issued summons to her to appear at the Narkeldanga Police Station on June 20 to record her statement, an official said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have so far arrested 325 people from eight districts of the state in connection with the violence that took place on June 10.

In a statement issued in Lucknnow, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said 13 FIRs were registered following incidents of violence in nine districts.

Giving district-wise details, Kumar said, "Ninety-two people have been arrested in Prayagraj, 80 in Saharanpur, 51 in Hathras, 41 in Ambedkar Nagar, 35 in Moradabad, 16 in Firozabad, six in Aligarh and four in Jalaun."

Broadband and mobile Internet services were, meanwhile restored in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district while prohibitory orders were lifted from Doda, except in Bhaderwah town, on Monday, days after tension ran high in the Union Territory over Sharma's controversial remarks on the Prophet.

Prohibitory orders were also relaxed in the Kishtwar district but curfew remained in force in the Bhaderwah town for the fifth day in a row. However, students appearing in board exams were allowed free movement on showing valid identity and admit cards, officials said.

They said broadband and mobile internet services were restored in the Ramban district late Sunday night after remaining suspended since June 9.

However, the services remained suspended in Doda and Kishtwar districts, as a precautionary measure, officials said. A group of lawyers has, meanwhile, approached the Allahabad High Court against the demolition of the house of Javed Ahmad, the alleged mastermind of the violence that took place in Prayagraj.

BSP supremo Mayawati criticised the bulldozing of the houses of the accused allegedly involved in the violence, terming it "unfair and unjust" and saying the courts should take note of it. The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) had demolished Ahmad's house on Sunday, with an official of the agency saying the building plan of the structure had not been approved by the PDA.

The move came a day after the authorities bulldozed two houses belonging to other accused in Saharanpur. Five advocates of the Zila Adhivakta Manch claimed in their petition to the Allahabad High Court chief justice that the house demolished on Sunday was owned by Javed’s wife Parveen Fatima.

The house was given to Fatima by her parents before her marriage, so Ahmad had no ownership over it or the land where it stood, claimed the plea which was e-mailed to the chief justice.

The petition said to justify the demolition, the PDA pasted a notice on the house on June 11, mentioning a show-cause notice of a previous date. Neither Ahmad nor his wife had received the show-cause notice, it claimed.

The petition said "social worker" Ahmad was arrested on June 10 night and an FIR was registered against him a day later. Petitions challenging similar demolition of houses on grounds of alleged violation of building construction rules on the heels of violent public protests are pending before the Allahabad High Court, the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court.

BSP chief Mayawati, while calling the demolition "unfair and unjust", said in a thread of tweets an atmosphere of "fear and terror" has been created and the courts should take cognisance of it.