Police in northern India arrested a youth leader from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for posting anti-Muslim comments on social media after derogatory remarks by another party official about the Prophet Mohammad led to a diplomatic furore, officials said on Wednesday (June 8, 2022).

Harshit Srivastava was arrested in Kanpur city following communal tensions last week during a protest by Muslims to denounce the anti-Islam comments.

"We arrested the local politician for making inflammatory remarks against Muslims," said Prashant Kumar, a senior police official, adding that at least 50 people were taken into custody following the tensions in Kanpur.

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Prophet remarks: India rushes for diplomatic damage control

Srivastava's lawyer was not available for a comment.

Sporadic unrest was reported in other parts of the country after the comments against the Prophet by BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma during a television debate.

She has been suspended from the party while another spokesman, Naveen Kumar Jindal, was expelled over comments he made about Islam on social media, the BJP has said.

Domestic outrage gained fresh momentum after leaders from Islamic nations such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan demanded apologies from the Indian government and summoned diplomats to protest against the anti-Islam remarks.

The influential 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a statement that the insults came in the context of an increasingly intense atmosphere of hatred toward Islam in India and systematic harassment of Muslims.

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India's foreign ministry said on Monday the offensive tweets and comments did not in any way reflect the government's views.

The controversy has become a diplomatic challenge for Modi who in recent years has cemented strong ties with energy-rich Islamic nations.

Instructions have been issued to several members of his Hindu nationalist party to be "extremely cautious" when talking about religion on public platforms. read more

Members of Islamic rights group in India said that it was the first time influential foreign leaders had spoken out against what they called the humiliation experienced by the minority community.

"Our voices have finally been heard, only world leaders can nudge Modi's government and his party to change their attitude towards Muslims," said Ali Asghar Mohammed, who runs a voluntary rights group for Muslims in Mumbai city.

The High Court today issued a ruling seeking explanation as to why a farmer of Satkhira will not be compensated for suffering jail for 13 years after acquittal.

Zobed Ali Biswas, who was first jailed for life for poisoning his daughter, was later acquitted. But the acquittal order was not sent to the district jail for his release.

The High Court gave the government four weeks to explain why the negligence would not be declared unconstitutional and the victim be compensated with Tk 20 lakh.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by Children Charity Bangladesh Foundation, a rights group.

Satkhira’s Additional Judges Court-3, in 2001, jailed Zobed for life for poisoning his eight-year-old daughter Lily in 1994, petitioner’s lawyer Abdul Alim told The Daily Star.

The High Court, following an appeal, acquitted him in 2003.

The superior court’s verdict was forwarded to the local court. However, the Satkhira court said to have ordered the officials concerned to keep the judgement in record and did not send it to the jail.

Zobed Ali was released from prison on March 2 this year. 

One man was killed and two others injured during “gunfights” with police in Narail, Jessore and Satkhira districts early yesterday.

The dead was identified as Rakib, 30, son of Mokhles Hossain of Chanchai village of Lohagara upazila in Narail.

With the latest, 11 people have now been killed in “shootouts” or “gunfights” since the killing of the wife of the superintendent of police in Chittagong on Sunday.

Biplob Kumar Saha, officer-in-charge of Lohagora Police Station, said that on receiving information that a band of robbers were preparing for a robbery, a team of police launched a drive at Dighalia Dokkhinpara village in the upazila around 2:30am.

Sensing presence of the law enforcers, the gang members opened fire prompting retaliation from police. Rakib was hit by a bullet in this exchange.

He was rushed to Lohagora Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead.

Other members of the gang escaped. Rakib was wanted in 12 cases, including robberies, the OC said.

In Jessore, Abu Ichha, 45, outgoing member of Raipur Union Parishad of Bagharpara, was hit by a bullet during a gunfight between police and robbers at Kodalia on Jessore-Maguara Road around 4:00am, OC of Bagharpara Sairuddin Ahmed said.

His wife Afroza Begum, however, claims that a team of eight to 10 policemen picked up Ichha from their Naldanga residence around 2:00am yesterday.

“In the morning, I came to know that my husband is in the hospital. He was shot in one leg,” she said.

The victim was initially taken to Jessore Medical College Hospital, but was later shifted to Dhaka when his condition deteriorated, sources at Jessore Medical College said.

Sanjit Adhikary, son of Kartik Adhikary of Jalalpur village of the upazila and a known activist of the outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party, was injured in a 'gunfight' with police at Tegharia in Tala of Satkhira.

Kamal Hossain, sub-inspector of Tala Police Station, said a police team on receiving a tip-off conducted a drive in Tegharia around 1:30am where Sanjit and his cohorts were staying.

The gang members opened fire at the police triggering retaliation. Sanjit received bullet-wounds in the fire exchange, he said.

Police arrested Sanjit while the other gang members managed to flee. Sanjit has been admitted to Satkhira Sadar Hospital under police custody.

BNP candidate for Dhaka-1 constituency Khandakar Abu Ashfaq was released hours after he was picked up by police today.

A police team brought Ashfaq to the Dohar Police Station for his own safety this afternoon and later his relatives took him away around 8:00pm, Md Sazzad Hossain, officer-in-charge of the police station, told The Daily Star.

Police picked up Ashfaq while he was conducting election campaign in Joypara Bazar area of Dohar upazila around 5:00pm, said Fahima Hossain Jubli, an activist of the upazila unit BNP, who took part in the campaign.

Later, OC Sazzad Hossain confirmed to The Daily Star that Ashfaq was taken into police custody for his own security.

Elaborating the matter, the OC said some BNP men attacked Awami League activists and vandalised two motorcycles there. As the AL men were preparing to retaliate, police took Ashfaq into custody to avert any untoward incident.

He can leave the police station anytime, the police official said responding to a query.