A Muslim mob went berserk today in Kanpur, UP while forcefully shutting down a major market. The frenzied Muslim mob indulged in vandalism and physical assault while forcing Hindus to close their shops, and soon Hindus gathered in self-defense. At least 8 people were injured, some seriously, in the deadly stone pelting, and firing that ensued.

Violence raged for almost 4 hours in an urban warfare-type situation which saw use of stones, firearms and crude bombs like petrol bombs. Police was also attacked and had to resort to tear gas firing and lathi charge to control the situation. Names of those injured are – Police inspector ASI Kailash Dube, Chandreshwar Hata, Sanjay Shukla, Amar Batham, Ashish, Anil Gaur, Mukesh Devgowda, Raju Singh. Public and private property was destroyed, including over half a dozen vehicles.

President Kovind and PM Modi were in Kanpur district for an official program today, so it is evident that this violence was well-planned to send a larger threat to the nation.

Muslim organizations such as the Maulana Mohammad Ali (MMA) Jauhar Fans Association had made the call to shut down shops at the Parade Market, one of the biggest wholesale markets in the city. As is the pattern in such incidents, the violence erupted when Muslims came out after their weekly Friday congregational namaz in which they are often addressed by a maulvi/imam.

Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar (1878 – 1931) was a product of the Aligarh Movement. He was a leading figure of the Khilafat movement, one of the founders of the Muslim League and of the Jamia Millia Islamia university. He even served as the President of the Congress in 1923, but later turned a bitter critic of Gandhi/Congress and supported Jinnah’s maximalist demands.

Islamists have taken offence to comments made by BJP leader Nupur Sharma about Islam’s Prophet during a news debate over the disputed Gyanvapi structure in the temple town of Kashi. While Nupur had merely quoted what is written in Islamic hadith, the entire Muslim community has been whipped into a mad frenzy ever since an edited clip of the discussion was made viral by Md. Zubair of propaganda site AltNews which masquerades as a fact-checker. Multiple FIRs have been filed against Nupur and she has been inundated with rape and death threats.

Disturbing images have emerged of people with head injuries being taken for treatment.

Around 18 people have been detained. Police has slapped the Gangster Act on the accused and plans to confiscate their property to recover damages. Three companies of riot police have been deployed to the area to restore normalcy.