Azamgarh tensed over an anti-Islam Facebook post, 17 held

Azamgarh: As many as seventeen people was arrested from Saraimeer area of Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district on Saturday after clashes broke out in the region over an anti-Islam Facebook post.

According to the media reports, accused Amit Sahu on Thursday uploaded a derogatory post against Islam on Facebook titled, “Islam mein burqa kyon (Why does Islam advocate the use of burqa)”.

The accused was apprehended a day earlier following a complaint by a former Nagar Panchayat cChairman and was booked under sections 66A and 295A of the IT Act.

Tension gripped on Saturday after scores of demonstrators gheraoed outside the Saraimeer police station and demanded action under the National Security Act (NSA) against the accused person.

Protesters started pelting stones, torched a police outpost and vandalized several vehicles. The police resorted to lathi charge and tear gas shells and additional police force had to be summoned to control the situation.

Heavy force has been deployed in the area,” said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Circle Officer, Phooplur said to leading news agency.