The district magistrate, the senior superintendent of police and a sub-divisional magistrate of Prayagraj sustained injuries along with policemen and Rapid Action Force jawans in Atala area of the city when a strong mob of Muslims started pelting stones after Juma namaz, demanding arrest of Nupur Sharma for her controversial remark.
The mob first raised slogans and when the police and the officers tried to pacify them, the protesters started pelting stones. There were also reports of firing and crude bombs being hurled on the police from the mob. The trouble-makers also pulled down barricades to attack the security forces. Several policemen and RAF jawans besides the senior officials were injured in the stone pelting.
Police vehicles were also set on fire by the mob and even the vehicle of the ADG Zone was damaged. Several private vehicles on the road were also damaged.
The police ultimately fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathi-charge to control the situation. Additional police force was also rushed to Prayagraj.
The heavy stone pelting and retaliatory action by the police in the Muslim-dominated Atala area after the Juma namaz came as a blot on the ‘Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb’ of Prayagraj on Friday afternoon.
Police officers, including the ADG Zone and the SSP were on the spot and they asked the forces to exercise restraint.
The police claimed that the situation was under control.
The officials had met the religious leaders of the community on Thursday and they had been assured that there would be no trouble due to the Juma namaz, but the way the members of the community behaved after the Friday prayers suggested that it was a pre-planned attack on the police to disturb peace and malign the image of the government.
The police had received intelligence reports that some anti-social elements may disturb peace and tranquility after Friday namaz in some cities of Uttar Pradesh including Prayagraj, so a flag march was taken out in the Muslim dominated areas on Thursday to let the people feel the presence of the police.
On Friday, a heavy deployment of civil police and paramilitary forces was seen in the old city areas, particularly near mosques. The SSP had instructed the cops to be polite and courteous towards peace loving people but turn tough against those found disturbing peace.
A poster went viral on social media asking the minority community to observe a ‘Bandh’ on Friday in protest against the remark of Nupur Sharma and to demand her immediate arrest. But surprisingly, the leaders of the community said that some mischief-makers were behind the poster and no ‘Bandh’ call had been given by them. However, most of the shops in the Muslim-dominated areas remained closed on Friday.
Though the police kept a vigil at the Muslim-dominated areas and even drone cameras were used for the purpose, still stones were collected for being pelted on the police in Atala.