As the situation deteriorated 2 died in Ranchi, After the police opted to the lathi charge. They then opened fire on the protesters. According to the police, a curfew has been imposed in the city, and the situation is now under control.
A massive protest with thousands of Muslims took place on June 10, Friday, to protest against the derogatory comments made by spokesperson Nupur Sharma(who is now expelled from the BJP) on Prophet Mohammad.
The protest took place on Ranchi’s Main Road, near the Daily Market. The police further went out to open fire to curb the protests were over 10 people were severely injured and 2 died in Ranchi.
At first, the protest was going about peacefully, but it spiralled when some protesters started to pelt stones at the police as they were trying to break up the crowd that was gathered close to the Hanuman Mandir, 150 meters away from the Iqra Masjid located on the main road.
Along with the injured protesters, Surendra Kumar Jha, Senior superintendent of police has also suffered many injuries. They were all quickly taken to Anujuman Hospital, where they are currently being treated.
The latest information shows that 10 persons have been severely injured due to the firing that took place. The ones who were deceased have been identified as Sahil of Christia Magar, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Mobasir of Islamnagar
. The deaths have been confirmed by both of the respected families and the authorities are yet to issue an official confirmation.
Two protests were witnessed in the city by Muslims after the Friday prayers took place- one located near Iqra Masjid and the other Doranda Rasladarbaba.
The first group formed a procession from Mazhar to Rajendar Chowk, while the second formed a human chain.
The protester’s main plan was to form a human chain around the Iqra Masjid, but the incident of stone-pelting was completely unexpected.
The situation appears to be under control at the moment, according to DIG Anish Gupta. He also mentioned that the police have been putting in their best efforts by keeping heavy police deployment all over the city to normalize the situation.
The comments made by Nupur Sharma have led to international outrage as well, where there has been an uproar across the country for her to be arrested.
However, against this outlook, a social media handle in Ranchi whose organization name hasn’t been revealed issued a call from Bharat Bandh on June 10.
It was further mentioned that the call consisted of a poem conveying that those who dishonour Prophet Muhammad, to be shown that they are still alive. It has been confirmed that this Bandh call isn’t supported by any known Muslim organizations.
“After the conclusion of Juma Prayers in various mosques, protestors gathered at the main road area to register their protests” said Irfan Khan, state president of the Muslim League.
”As they continued, the police launched a full-scale crackdown, causing several people to be injured. Approximately ten people have been injured by bullets. Three people are said to be on a ventilator as a result of the crackdown.
This was a total administrative blunder. Tear gas, pellet guns, or water cannons could have been used. What was the need of using automated guns and weapons on citizens?” He continued.
Nadeem Khan, a member of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist), stated, “This is really a complete administrative failure. Water cannons or tear gas shelling could have been used to disperse the crowds. However, one person has died as a result of this brutal crackdown, and the number of deaths could rise.”
Jharkhand’s chief minister, Hemant Soren, expressed concern about the violence in Ranchi. In his bid for peace, he stated that any miscreants would face harsh punishment.
With the curfew currently being in place, the situation seems to be under control, however, the environment is still unease.
