Muslims have taken to the streets across India in recent weeks to protest the anti-Islamic comments of two members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party Bharatiya Janata (BJP). Clashes broke out between Muslims and Hindus and in some cases between protesters and police in several areas. Police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested more than 300 people in connection with the riots. Some in India’s Muslim minority see the comments as the latest case of pressure and humiliation under the BJP rule on issues ranging from freedom of worship to the use of hijab headscarves. The BJP suspended Nupur Sharma’s spokeswoman and expelled another leader, Naveen Kumar Jindal, for the comments, which also sparked diplomatic controversy with many Muslim countries. Police have filed charges against the two and the government has said the comments do not reflect its views. Muslim groups have called for their arrest, and some hardline Hindu groups have called them brave and nationalist politicians. Over the weekend, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered officials to demolish any illegal facilities and homes of people accused of involvement in riots there last week, a BJP spokesman said. The home of a suspected rioter whose daughter is a Muslim Muslim rights activist was demolished amid heavy police presence Sunday. The property of two more people accused of throwing stones after Friday prayers was also demolished in the state. Mrityunjay Kumar, Adityanath’s media consultant, posted on Twitter a photo of a bulldozer demolishing a building, saying: “The unruly elements are remembered, every Friday is followed by Saturday.” Opposition leaders said the Adityanath government was using an unconstitutional method to silence protesters. On Sunday, Jidal said his family was under constant threat and some of his followers said a slow bomb had been defused near his New Delhi home. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet commented on the community unrest. In the eastern state of West Bengal, authorities imposed an emergency law banning public gatherings in the Haura industrial area until June 16. The president of the BJP in West Bengal staged a sit-in protest on Sunday, accusing neighboring Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim nation, of inciting violence in the state. Two teenagers were killed in clashes between Hindus and Muslims in eastern India on Friday, police said on Saturday. Police opened fire to disperse the violence in Ranchi town in Jharkhand state, but it was unclear whether the two victims were killed by police or rioters. Senior police official Surendra Kumar Ja said at least 14 police officers were injured in the incident in Ranchi and other areas. A traffic ban was imposed and Internet services were suspended to stop the escalation of the unrest. Last week, countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iran – India’s main trading partners – staged diplomatic protests to apologize to the Monti government for its comments.
