A day after Islamists blocked the National Highway connecting Howrah and Kolkata, a large mob disrupted the vehicular movement in the Park Circus area in Kolkata. Following the Friday prayers (Jumma Namaz), Islamists began gathering on the road and demonstrating against the remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Such protests erupted in a large number places across India today after the Friday prayers, and the West Bengal capital was also no exception.
#WATCH | West Bengal: A large number of people gather in protest at Park Circus in Kolkata against the controversial religious remarks by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma & expelled leader Naveen Jindal pic.twitter.com/a8n5HQ0nky
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2022
Videos from the area show thousands of Muslims on the street demanding arrest of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal. The road was blocked by the protesting crowd for several hours during the day.
A video shot from atop the Maa flyover showed the mob, chanting slogans of ‘Allah Hu Akbar.’
#Watch: People stage a protest at Kolkata’s Park Circus area after Friday prayers against the remarks made by suspended BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammad. pic.twitter.com/txx72CoObB
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) June 10, 2022
Popular Twitter user Ankita urged the State to respond but to no avail. “Where’s police administration? Mamata Banerjee should stop this immediately, the common people are being harassed,” she wrote.
After yesterday they blocked National Highway for 12 hours,today they had again blocked Park Circus,Kolkata,demanding arrest of Nupur Sharma.Where’s police administration? Mamata Banerjee should stop this immediately,the common people are being harassed. pic.twitter.com/PjqQmbEw3I
— Ankita (@ankitahere_) June 10, 2022
Similar scenes were seen in Kolkata’s twin city Howrah, where Muslim mobs again resorted to violence and vandalism after similar acts yesterday. The mobs burnt down vehicles and police booths during the violence protests.
West Bengal | Fire tenders douse police vehicles & booths that were set on fire by protestors in Howrah amid the controversial remarks of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma & expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal. pic.twitter.com/MglQY2E9w1
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2022
The National Highway 116 near Anjurhati in Howrah was blocked due to the protests and vandalism by the protesters. Apart from setting vehicles and booths to fire, the mob also burnt tyres on the road, forcing a halt of traffic on the busy road also known as Delhi-Kolkata National Highway. The road was blocked for over 10 hours as the police failed to control the mob. The road blockade started around 10.30 am today and continued till evening.
#WATCH | West Bengal: A huge crowd gathers at Howrah in protest over the controversial remarks of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma & expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal. pic.twitter.com/m8Bak7Q0nF
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2022
BJP office burnt down
The Islamist mob also burnt down a office of BJP in Howrah, as informed by Bengal BJP leader Amit Thakur. “The Bhartiya Janata Party office is a place of worship for us, today thousand of mad fundamentalist have came and set fire to that place of worship,” he tweeted.
The Bhartiya Janata Party office is a place of worship for us, today thousand of mad fundamentalist have came and set fire to that place of worship.
— Amit Thakur 🇮🇳 (@Amit_Thakur_BJP) June 10, 2022
Howrah ruler police silent spectators.@JPNadda @blsanthosh @AmitShah @DilipGhoshBJP @SuvenduWB @DrSukantaBJP @TajinderBagga pic.twitter.com/5FJs9CibF8
BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta said that different parts of Kolkata and outskirts were under mob rule, while police is in retreat mode. “State-sponsored disturbances in W Bengal. Citizens in panic. Is this going to be an everyday story in this state?” he asked on Twitter, adding that it is time for Indians to lose sleep.
It is notable that just yesterday, West Bengal Cm Mamata Banerjee had appealed the Muslims with folded hands not to protest in the state, and she had advised them to protest in Delhi. However today it was proved that the Muslims do not care about her appeal.
Islamists blocking roads in Howrah, Mamata advises to protest in Delhi instead
On Thursday (June 9), a mob of frenzied protestors blocked the National Highway connecting Howrah and Kolkata, thereby resulting in traffic woes and public inconvenience. The demonstration comes days after the BJP suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma over alleged ‘blasphemous’ remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
The protestors, dressed in skull caps and lungi, created a ruckus on NH116. They yelled Islamist slogans and burnt tyres. In videos that have now surfaced on social media, dark smoke could be seen engulfing the skies.
Reportedly, the blockade began from Nibra (Kona Expressway-NH16 junction) at around 10:30 am and ended at 9:30 pm. Located at about 12 km from the second Howrah bridge, it extended up to the AJC Bose Road in Kolkata.
Instead of acting against the mob that had brought traffic to a near halt in Howrah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked them to disrupt public life in other states instead.
She remarked, “Why should we suffer due to communal politics of some with an aim for narrow political gains? Go protest in UP, Gujarat…states where BJP is in power. But they are not in power in Bengal, so don’t do this for publicity in here.”
