A local train was vandalised in Bethuadahari town of West Bengal’s Nadia district after a protest against the remarks about Prophet Muhammad turned violent on Sunday, PTI reported.
A few people were injured, said Chief Public Relations Officer (Eastern Railway) Eklavya Chakraborty.
“An unruly mob of around 1,000 people pelted stones on the train,” Chakraborty said, according to ANI. “As of now, no train is running there.”
An unidentified police official told PTI that the demonstrators threw stones, damaged houses and tried to block roads. Ten people have been detained in connection with the vandalism.
“When chased by the police, a section of them went inside the Bethuadahari railway station and attacked the train which was on a platform there,” the official said.
Meanwhile, another group of protesters vandalised the Dhubulia railway station in the district, PTI reported, citing an unidentified senior police official.
“Some employees of the station and passengers of the Krishnagar-Lalgola local train were injured,” the official said.
Protests erupted in several parts of India on Friday against the remarks made by two Bharatiya Janata Party spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal about the Prophet Muhammad. On June 5, the BJP had suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal after a diplomatic backlash from many Muslim-majority countries.
Demonstrations took place in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Telangana on Friday. In most cities, including Delhi, Kolkata and Prayagraj, the protests started after Friday prayers.
On Saturday, a clash broke out between the police and the protesters in Howrah’s Panchla Bazaar. Authorities said they have imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, restricting the gathering of four or more persons, till June 15, according to The Indian Express.
Suvendu Adhikari stopped
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was stopped by the police while visiting violence-hit areas of Howrah on Sunday, PTI reported.
The West Bengal Police said that Adhikari was stopped as a “precautionary measure” as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in many areas, The Indian Express reported. The police also said that his visit could cause law and order problems.
Adhikari said that he would approach the court against the police action.
“I have been unlawfully obstructed by West Bengal Police at Radhamoni in Tamluk in Medinipur,” Adhikari wrote in a tweet. “Is there a curfew in place in Purba Medinipur district or has Section 144 been imposed? I am moving towards Kolaghat for lunch. How is it prohibited?”
Some BJP offices in Howrah district have been vandalised, he alleged. There was no question of him violating Section 144 as he will be visiting the offices as the leader of Opposition, he added.
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