The families of Mudasir, 14, and Sahil Ansari, 19, confirmed the deaths in Al Jazeera, saying police used disproportionate violence against protesters who marched in Ranchi, the capital of the eastern state of Jharkhand, after Friday prayers demanding two BJP executives. . Dozens of protesters were injured in violent protests. A senior police officer in Ranchi was also injured, according to local media. A witness told Al Jazeera that the situation had worsened after Hindus staged protests. Many calls to the police in Ranchi went unanswered. The BJP suspended Nupur Sharma’s spokeswoman for making insulting remarks against the Prophet of Islam and expelled another leader, Naveen Jindal, for his anti-Islamic tweet following a diplomatic backlash from Muslim countries. The Hindu nationalist party said the insulting comments did not reflect the government’s position and the comments were made by “marginal elements”. Mudasir was shot in the head by police and succumbed to his injuries at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Shahid Ayyubi’s uncle told Al Jazeera. Sahil Faizan’s brother said he was hit in the back by a bullet while returning home after prayer. “The bullet broke his kidney and he died in hospital shortly afterwards,” Faizan told Al Jazeera, adding that his brother had not even taken part in the protests. Sahil ran a battery repair shop in the city. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the family’s allegations. However, a local news agency confirmed that they had been killed by gunfire. A police officer in Ranchi told AFP: “Police were forced to open fire to disperse protesters; two were killed.”

“It is the job of the police to protect, not to shoot”

The bodies of Mudasir and Sahil were handed over to the families as the government imposed restrictions reminiscent of a traffic ban, including the suspension of mobile internet services in the city, supposedly as a security measure. “Mudashir was a child, just 14 years old, waiting for the matrix test result,” Ayyubi said in a broken voice. “He took part in the demonstrations and now he is no longer with us. He was the only child of his parents. We are shocked. “ The family called on the government to put Mudasir’s killers in prison and punish them severely. Indian Muslims burn a dummy with portraits of Nupur Sharma, the representative of the ruling Hindu nationalist party [Bikas Das/AP Photo] Ayyubi blamed the government for the violence, saying police had handled the situation “badly”. “There are thousands of ways to control civilian demonstrations, such as water cannons, rubber bullets, airstrikes, but they shoot directly at the head and body,” he said. Irfan Ansari, a Muslim lawmaker from Congress who is part of the ruling coalition in the state, also criticized the government for the way the protests were handled. “The job of the police is to protect, not to shoot,” he told a Hindi tweet, questioning the work style of the city police chief. Ansari demanded compensation of five million rupees ($ 64,000) and a public job for the families of the deceased. Al Jazeera tried to call Anshuman Kumar, a police inspector in Ranchi, for an answer, but the calls went unanswered. Friday’s protests against the Prophet’s comments were witnessed in several cities and states, including the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and the capital New Delhi. The protests in India coincided with huge demonstrations in South Asia against comments considered offensive to the Prophet of Islam and his wife Aisha. The right-wing party, which has denounced insults to religious figures, has also called on its representatives to be “extremely careful” about religious issues in “discussions” on Indian news channels. New Delhi police on Thursday filed charges against two members of the BJP and others – including a Muslim lawmaker and journalist – for “inciting hatred” and other charges.

“In the corner and injured”

The demonstrations were violent in many places in the Uttar Pradesh – the most populous state of India – as police used violence to stifle demonstrations. In Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, videos that went viral on social media showed police beating protesters with sticks while arresting several of them. Similar scenes were reported in the cities of Moradabad and Saharanpur where Muslims took to the streets demanding the arrest of Sharma and Jindal. State police arrested more than 200 people, including activists from the Muslim community. Police in Al Jazeera reported that 48 people were arrested in Saharanpur, 68 in Prayagraj, 50 in Hathras, 25 in Moradabad, 8 in Ferozabad and 28 in Ambedkarnagar. Police in Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, raided the home of student leader Afreen Fatima overnight, arresting Mohammad Javed’s father, mother and sister. “First a police party came around 20:30 and took my father and then they came at 23:30 and arrested my mother and sister. “The third time they came at 02:30 to arrest me, but we resisted and since then the police have cordoned off our house,” Fatima told Al Jazeera by telephone. “We are just women and children at home. We feel cramped and injured. “The police asked us to leave the house locked.” Friday’s demonstrations for comments against the Prophet were witnessed in many cities and states, including the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. [Bikas Das/AP] Fatima said police accused her father of being “the mastermind of the protests in the city”, a claim she denied. “My father did not take part in demonstrations, but he is active in civil society and a prominent Muslim voice in the city and that is why he is being targeted.” She said police did not tell them where her parents and sister went. “I have no idea where my father, mother and sister are. I’m worried about their safety. “My father is diabetic and needs an insulin injection every night.” Leaders of the Muslim community have denounced the “unbridled” use of force by police in Ranchi and Uttar Pradesh. SQR Ilyas, chairman of the Prosperity Party of India, said the police action was “unjustified”, as the protests were a “democratic right of the people”. He said that the Muslims took to the streets because they were hurt by the insults against the Prophet. “Instead of tackling the cause and arresting the culprits, police have resorted to killings, arrests and bulldozers in the homes of poor Muslims,” ​​Ilyas said, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue. However, the ruling BJP justified the arrests as party spokesman Alok Watz told Al Jazeera that protesters had used stones to throw stones. “Protest is everyone’s right, but you can not throw stones,” he said, urging Muslims to be patient and let the law follow its path.