Ranchi: Bihar's Road Construction Minister Nitin Navin had a close shave after protests took a violent turn in Jharkhand's Ranchi. The Minister told ETV Bharat that he was safe. "Somehow my life has been saved," he said. Some policemen were injured here on Friday while trying to control an irate mob near Hanuman Temple, situated on Ranchi's Main Road after protests erupted with hundreds of people demanding the arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad, police said.
Police fired in the air besides resorting to lathi-charge to control the mob which spilled out on the roads after Friday prayers and pelted stones besides shouted slogans. "Few policemen have been injured. We are looking into the situation. We are reinforcing deployment," a senior police official said. According to police sources, a total of 13 persons were injured during the protest out of which one police official suffered bullet injuries.
Watch: Protests erupt against Nupur Sharma's remark on Prophet Mohammed
A large crowd of people gathered on Main Road shouting slogans against Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, former head of the Delhi BJP's media unit. Heavy security deployment has been made to manage the situation and to avoid any untoward incidents. According to police officials, the protest has been continuing since morning and picked up tempo post-Friday prayers.
Many shops and establishments kept their shutters down in protest against the remarks. The protestors demanded the immediate arrest of Sharma raising slogans. "More than 1,100 shops in the market were shut since morning in protest against remarks of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal. We demand their immediate arrest," New Daily Market Traders Welfare Association President Haji Md Hasim told PTI. Hasim said they wanted a peaceful procession but the police didn't give permission. "So we are protesting peacefully outside our shops here," he said. (With Agency inputs)
