Locals in Howrah on Thursday protested against the controversial statement of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The protests took place near Ankurhati on NH 116, disrupting traffic.
A few protesters who were present on the site shouted slogans that Nupur should be given harshest punishment.
Howrah City Police DCP South Pratiksha tried to quell the protests but the efforts did not yield results. Traffic has been affected in Howrah city due to the jam, due to which traffic has been diverted in many areas.
This comes after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit out at suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Kumar Jindal for their recent controversial remarks on religious minorities, that drew condemnation from several Islamic nations, and demanded their immediate arrest.
Without naming Sharma and Jindal, Banerjee tweeted, "I condemn the recent heinous and atrocious hate speech remarks by a few disastrous BJP leaders, resulting in not only spread of violence, but also division of the fabric of the country, leading to disturbance of peace and amity."
"I strongly seek that the accused leaders of BJP be arrested immediately so that the unity of the country is not disturbed and people at large do not face mental agony," she added.
Banerjee's tweets come days after Sharma was suspended by the BJP for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Prophet during a debate show on a TV news channel. The West Bengal chief minister also appealed to "brothers and sisters from all castes, creeds, religions, and communities to maintain peace in the larger interest of the common people, despite the provocations".
Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been named in an FIR registered by the Delhi Police on Thursday over alleged inflammatory remarks yesterday. Swami Yati Narsinghanand's name has also been mentioned in the FIR. This comes as the row over the comments on the Prophet by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma has blown up, leading to global outrage.
( With inputs from ANI )
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