More than 200 people have been arrested in six districts in Uttar Pradesh over violence in connection with recent remarks by now-suspended BJP leader on Prophet Muhammad.
Sixty-eight people were arrested from Prayagraj, while 50 people were taken into police custody in Hathras. Forty-eight people were picked up from Saharanpur, followed by Ambedkarnagar (28 arrests), Moradabad (25 arrests) and eight arrests in Ferozabad.
Altogether, 227 people have been arrested in these six districts in connection with the protests over suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma and expelled party leader Naveen Jindal's comments on Prophet Muhammad.
The arrests, police said, are being made based on the video footage sourced from the protest sites.
"We have identified people based who were part of the protests and arrested them. Protests were held in these places despite the administrations' appeal for calm," said senior police officer Prashant Kumar told NDTV.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office said that officials have been given liberty and clear instructions to take stringent action against "anti-social elements".
"The CM has given liberty and clear instructions to the officials to take stringent action against anti-social elements. Those who take the law into their hands will be taught strict lessons," his office said in a statement.
A clash erupted in parts of Prayagaraj between police and protesters after the Friday prayers. Stones were also thrown during clashes in the Atala area in Prayagaraj.
In Saharanpur, people holding placards raised slogans against Nupur Sharma. Some of them also turned violent after the security personnel tried to stop them.
Several West Asian countries demanded a public apology, summoned Indian envoys and saw calls for a boycott of Indian products.
The government tried to defuse the row calling the comments "views of fringe elements".
Woman Confronted In-Laws Over Husband's Alleged Affair, Beaten Up: UP Cops Woman Pours Boiling Water On Husband, Pushes Him Off Terrace, Arrested 16 Arrested After 6 Killed In UP's Deoria Over Land Dispute: Cops Chaos Erupts On Ryanair Flight After Passenger Dies Mid-Air Uddhav Thackeray's "Names On TV" Dig At Poll Officials After 2 Bag Checks "Combining Indian Hospitality With Swiss Quality": CEO On New Noida Airport Explained: What The Latest Science Shows Us About Climate Change US Senate Democrats Rush To Confirm Judges Before Trump Takes Office Big Top Court Verdict On 'Bulldozer Justice' Today, Pan-India Norms Expected Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.