KOlkata: As protesters and police clash in West Bengal on the second day over a speech by BJP leader suspended by the Prophet Muhammad, Prime Minister Mamata Banerjee said some political parties wanted to cause unrest and ask why people should suffer because of BJP's "sins".
"I have said this before. It has been two days since life in Howrah was disrupted and incidents of violence were perpetrated. Some political parties want to provoke riots. But this will not be tolerated and they will be dealt with severely.
In Howrah near Kolkata, a protest against BJP leader Nupur Sharma's claim that the Prophet Muhammad turned violent yesterday. This morning, another dispute was reported in the same area.
Police threw their tear gas to disperse protesters after stone, an Ani news center reported. Authorities have imposed restrictions on the area until Wednesday. The internet was suspended across the region until Monday, officials said. Earlier, on Thursday, protesters had blocked roads in several areas in Howrah.
The premier then asked them to stop rioting in the province and go to New Delhi to protest.
Speeches by Nupur Sharma and ousted BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal are tarnishing India's image worldwide and should be arrested, Ms Banerjee told reporters.
Major protests were reported in nine provinces after Friday prayers.
In Jharkhand's Ranchi, two people were killed and 12 others - four of them police - were injured when protesters clashed with police.
Violence erupted in several cities in Uttar Pradesh, with more than 200 people arrested.
Prohibition orders have now been imposed in many parts of the country to prevent a serious incident.
