Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 29 : Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma on Monday dismissed the 'I love Muhammad' controversy and protests in different parts of the country, asserting that this is not a national issue.
Speaking to reporters, Sharma emphasised that young people today need employment, and these religious issues are misleading the country.
The Congress MP stated that the government should address serious issues such as unemployment and paper leaks.
"These aren't national issues. The national issues are how to address the unemployment problem and how to resolve the paper leak issue. The youth need employment; these issues are misleading the country... Government should also address these issues...," he said.
Meanwhile, Bareilly Police made 56 arrests, including Nadeem Khan, a key conspirator in the Bareilly violence case. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya, who led the crackdown, confirmed that Nadeem was apprehended by the police for his involvement in inciting violence.
These arrests were made after a recent act of violence in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, related to the "I Love Muhammad" row. In the city of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a seemingly peaceful protest turned violent on September 26. The situation escalated when a group of individuals, allegedly incited by provocative messages on WhatsApp, gathered at a specific location and clashed with the police. Hence, this confrontation resulted in injuries and significant damage to public property.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi slammed the FIR lodged against the 'I love Muhammad' row and emphasised that the FIR should not have been registered over this incident.
Speaking to mediapersons, Azmi asserted that the act of displaying such posters was not wrong. He also claimed that it is normal to display such posters during Eid.
"This is not wrong because all religions display such posters, but when Muslims do it, an FIR was lodged against them. When the FIR was filed, not only Muslims but also all secular people declared, 'I love Muhammad'. This caused a stir worldwide. So the government started all this and took action. I believe it is normal to display such posters during Eid, and there should not have been an FIR against it." said Azmi.
Additionally, the Samajwadi leader also asserted that, irrespective of their religion, people tend to display posters of their God during their festivals.