In late May and early June 2022, remarks about Prophet Muhammad by two BJP functionaries, national spokesperson Nupur Sharma on a TV debate and Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal on Twitter, set off protests across India and a diplomatic backlash from Gulf states. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal on 5 June. Protests after Friday prayers on 3 and 10 June turned violent in several cities: two people died in police firing in Ranchi, hundreds were arrested in Uttar Pradesh, and an activist's house was demolished in Prayagraj. The Supreme Court criticised Sharma in July 2022 but later protected her from arrest and moved all cases against her to Delhi Police.
Key takeaways
- BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks about Prophet Muhammad were made on a Times Now debate on 26 May 2022; Delhi BJP media head Naveen Kumar Jindal posted a tweet about the Prophet on 1 June and later deleted it.
- On 5 June 2022 the BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal, and said it "respects all religions" and "strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities".
- Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned Indian envoys, who said the comments reflected the "views of fringe elements"; India's foreign ministry rejected the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's statement as "unwarranted and narrow-minded".
- On 10 June 2022 two people were killed when police fired on protesters in Ranchi; police say they fired as a "last resort" after stone-pelting, while families say police fired without warning.
- The Supreme Court said on 1 July 2022 that Sharma was "single-handedly responsible" for what was happening in the country, then granted her protection from arrest on 19 July and clubbed all FIRs with Delhi Police on 10 August.
How it started
On 26 May 2022, Nupur Sharma, then a BJP national spokesperson, made remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a Times Now debate on the Gyanvapi mosque dispute. The channel distanced itself from her comments the next day Scroll. On 1 June, Naveen Kumar Jindal, media head of the Delhi BJP, posted a tweet about the Prophet, which he later deleted Scroll. This page does not repeat what either said.
Muslim groups protested, and Twitter users in Arab countries called for a boycott of Indian products PTI via Onmanorama. Sharma later said she had spoken in response to comments made about a Hindu god, that she never intended "to hurt anyone's religious feelings", and that she would "unconditionally withdraw my statement" Al Jazeera. Jindal told PTI his tweet was a question to those insulting Hindu deities and was not aimed at hurting any community PTI via Onmanorama.
Kanpur, 3 June
The first violence came in Kanpur on Friday 3 June, during a shutdown called by a Muslim organisation Scroll. Police said trouble began when some people tried to shut shops and another group objected Free Press Journal. Police Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena said 50 to 100 young men came out sloganeering, another group opposed them, and it escalated to stone-pelting Scroll. Police later said at least 40 people, including 20 police personnel, were injured, and registered three FIRs against about 500 people The Wire.
Police named Hayat Zafar Hashmi, president of the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Fans Association, as the key conspirator; he and three others were arrested on 4 June. The commissioner said police would look for links with the Popular Front of India and act under the Gangster Act and National Security Act Free Press Journal. By August police had arrested 61 people and filed a first charge sheet naming 47 accused, about 20 of them as "masterminds" IANS via ETV Bharat.
The BJP's action, 5 June
On Sunday 5 June the BJP suspended Sharma "pending further inquiry", in a letter from disciplinary committee secretary Om Pathak saying she had expressed views contrary to the party's position. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta expelled Jindal, writing that his social media posts harmed communal harmony PTI via Onmanorama.
The Bharatiya Janata Party respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion.
Arun Singh, BJP general secretary, statement of 5 June 2022 (PTI)
The statement did not mention any specific incident or remark Al Jazeera.
The diplomatic backlash
On 5 June Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned India's ambassadors. Saudi Arabia condemned the remarks, called for "respect for beliefs and religions" and welcomed the suspension Tribune. Qatar asked the Indian government to "publicly apologise to all Muslims around the world". The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Pakistan also issued condemnations Al Jazeera. Oman, Bahrain, Afghanistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general followed Tribune. AFP counted nearly 20 governments that called in Indian envoys AFP via Gulf News.
Government's position Indian embassy spokespersons in Qatar and Kuwait said the ambassadors "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements" Tribune. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi rejected the OIC's "unwarranted and narrow-minded comments" and called Pakistan a "serial violator of minority rights" Tribune.
The Friday protests of 10 June
After Friday prayers on 10 June, protests took place in many cities. Most ended peacefully, said Uttar Pradesh official Avanish Awasthi, but stones were thrown at police in some places AFP via Gulf News.
Two killed in police firing
Protesters marched from Iqra Masjid towards Albert Ekka Chowk. Near a Hanuman temple on Main Road the protest turned violent and police opened fire, killing two and injuring more than 25 The Wire. One of the dead was a 15-year-old boy; the other was a young man whose age was reported as 21 or 24 Outlook Al Jazeera.
Stone-pelting in Atala
Police said a crowd threw stones, set fire to motorcycles and carts and tried to burn a police vehicle; police used tear gas and lathis, and one officer was injured PTI via Morung Express.
Clashes and arrests
Stones were thrown at police in Saharanpur. Protests were also held in Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur and Lucknow PTI via Morung Express.
Highways, rail lines and BJP offices
Protests ran from Thursday. Protesters set kiosks and vehicles, including police vehicles, on fire and blocked roads and rail tracks; BJP offices in Uluberia and Panchla were set on fire, allegedly by protesters. Police fired tear gas at Panchla Bazaar on 11 June Scroll.
Javed Mohammad arrested
Prayagraj police arrested Welfare Party of India leader Javed Mohammad, accusing him of planning the violence Scroll.
House demolished
The Prayagraj Development Authority demolished his house in Kareli ETV Bharat.
Internet suspensions and curfews
- Ranchi: Curfew and an internet shutdown in 12 police station areas, lifted early on 12 June The Wire. Section 144 orders stayed in several areas afterwards DT Next.
- Howrah: Internet suspended across the district until 13 June, and Section 144 in Uluberia, Panchla and Domjur until 15 June Scroll, citing PTI.
- Murshidabad: Internet suspended in the Beldanga area until 6 am on 14 June Scroll.
Both accounts
Protesters' and families' account
Protesters demanded the arrest of Sharma and Jindal. In Ranchi, residents say police fired without warning Al Jazeera. Claim · Families The families of the two dead alleged that local Hindutva activists fired and threw stones from the temple premises, and named police officers in their complaint The Wire. They said police refused to register their FIR and instead charged the dead and injured Al Jazeera. In Prayagraj, Javed Mohammad's family said they received no notice before 11 June and that the house belonged to his wife, Parveen Fatima Scroll.
Police and government account
A Ranchi officer told AFP the crowd defied orders not to march and threw bottles and stones, and police "were forced to open fire" AFP via Gulf News. Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan said firing was a "last resort" taken under standard procedure DT Next. Claim · Police FIR A circle officer's FIR says protesters were aggressive from the start, threw stones, fired at police and tried to snatch weapons Outlook. A police SIT cleared one man named by the families, saying his phone was elsewhere The Wire, citing regional media.
Government's position Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: "No innocent should be harassed, but not a single guilty should be spared." His media adviser posted a photo of a bulldozer with the words "every Friday is followed by a Saturday" PTI via Morung Express. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said "some political parties" were behind the Howrah violence and asked why common people should suffer for the BJP's "sin". Police detained state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar on his way to Howrah, calling it a "preventive arrest" Scroll.
Arrests and custody
UP Additional DGP Prashant Kumar reported 227 arrests on 11 June and 304 in eight districts by 12 June: 91 in Prayagraj, 71 in Saharanpur, 51 in Hathras, 34 each in Ambedkar Nagar and Moradabad, 15 in Firozabad, six in Aligarh and two in Jalaun, with 13 cases registered PTI via ETV Bharat. In Ranchi police filed 25 FIRs within days DT Next.
In Saharanpur, a video showed a police officer beating a line of detained men. A BJP MLA shared it with a caption calling it a "return gift" for rioters, then deleted it. Police denied it was shot at a police station and ordered an inquiry on 16 June Scroll. On 3 July police released eight of the men, saying CCTV showed they were elsewhere during the protests Scroll.
The Prayagraj demolition and the legal challenge
On 11 June the authority told the family to vacate by 11 am the next day. It said it had issued a show cause notice on 10 May and a demolition order on 25 May after nobody appeared at a 24 May hearing ETV Bharat. Two properties of accused people were also demolished in Saharanpur on 11 June ETV Bharat.
Parveen Fatima petitioned the Allahabad High Court. She said the land was a gift from her father, that she paid the house tax and utility bills, and that no notice was served before 11 June. She asked for the house to be rebuilt and for compensation LiveLaw. Government's position In its counter-affidavit the state said the demolition was lawful and unconnected to the violence. It said residents had complained, that the building was used as a Welfare Party of India office, and that the notices were pasted on the wall after the family refused them. Her lawyer called the reply "a bundle of lies" The Quint. No final ruling on the petition was found in the reporting reviewed.
The NSA was invoked against Javed Mohammad on 16 July 2022 Maktoob. In a January 2023 bail order, Justice Sameer Jain said it appeared to be "a case of mob violence" and that he could not be called "instrumental for such violence" at that stage LiveLaw. He was released from Deoria jail on 16 March 2024, after about 21 months Maktoob.
FIRs against Sharma and the Supreme Court
FIRs were filed against Sharma in several states: five in Maharashtra, two in West Bengal and one each in Delhi and Telangana Scroll.
On 1 July 2022 a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala refused her plea to club the FIRs, and she withdrew it. In oral remarks the bench said her apology came "too late in the day" and that she should apologise to the country Tribune.
This lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country.
Supreme Court bench, oral remarks, 1 July 2022 (Al Jazeera)
The remarks came days after a tailor in Udaipur was killed by two men for supporting Sharma online Al Jazeera. After fresh threats, Sharma returned to court. On 19 July the same bench ordered that no coercive action be taken against her DT Next. On 10 August it clubbed all current and future FIRs with Delhi Police's IFSO unit, extended her protection until the probe ends, and allowed her to seek quashing in the Delhi High Court. West Bengal had argued against moving the cases to Delhi Scroll. On 9 September a bench led by Chief Justice UU Lalit declined to hear a plea seeking her arrest IANS via Deccan Herald.
Later developments, 2023 to 2026
- Sharma: Delhi Police granted her a gun licence in January 2023 after assessing threats Kashmir Walla, citing Economic Times. In January 2024 she was seen in public at a rally before the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration. She was not on the BJP's first candidate list for the 2025 Delhi election The Quint. No report of the outcome of the Delhi Police investigation was found.
- Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court heard a PIL seeking an NIA probe and asked why the investigating SSP had been transferred after the CID took over Verdictum. Post-mortems reportedly found no bullets in the two bodies; the bullets had passed through The Wire. By June 2023 the state's two-member inquiry report was not public, and CID sources said a charge sheet named 12 people, including the two who died Outlook.
- Demolitions: On 13 November 2024 the Supreme Court called demolishing homes only because someone is accused "totally unconstitutional" and required 15 days' notice and a hearing Onmanorama.
- Udaipur: In June 2026 Ashok Gehlot said only 21 of 180 witnesses had been examined in the NIA trial over the tailor's killing OrissaPOST.
Outcome
- Deaths: Two in police firing in Ranchi on 10 June 2022.
- Injuries: At least 40 in Kanpur, per police; more than 25 in Ranchi.
- Arrests: 304 in eight UP districts by 12 June; 61 in Kanpur by August.
- Property: Javed Mohammad's house demolished; two properties razed in Saharanpur.
- Courts: FIRs against Sharma clubbed with Delhi Police; she is protected from arrest.
Questions people ask
Why did the BJP suspend Nupur Sharma?
The party suspended her on 5 June 2022 over remarks about Prophet Muhammad on a Times Now debate on 26 May. Its letter said she had expressed views contrary to the party's position. Naveen Kumar Jindal was expelled the same day.
Which countries protested to India?
Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned Indian ambassadors on 5 June 2022, and Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Pakistan, the OIC and the GCC condemned the remarks. AFP counted nearly 20 governments that called in Indian envoys.
How many people died in the 2022 protests?
Two people, a 15-year-old boy and a young man, were killed when police fired on protesters in Ranchi on 10 June 2022. Police say they fired as a last resort after stone-pelting; families dispute this.
Why was Javed Mohammad's house demolished?
The Prayagraj Development Authority said it was built without an approved map and was used as a party office. His wife says she owned it and received no notice before 11 June. Her High Court challenge was filed in June 2022.
Sources
- Scroll: Violence breaks out in Kanpur during protest against BJP leader's comment, 3 June 2022
- The Wire: Kanpur violence, at least 40 injured, 3 FIRs against 500 people, 4 June 2022
- Free Press Journal: Kanpur violence, SIT visits crime scene, June 2022
- IANS via ETV Bharat: Charge sheet names 47 accused for June 3 violence in Kanpur, 12 Aug 2022
- PTI via Onmanorama: BJP suspends Nupur Sharma, expels Naveen Kumar Jindal, 5 June 2022
- Al Jazeera: Diplomatic storm over BJP remarks on the Prophet, 5 June 2022
- Tribune: Saudi Arabia joins Arab backlash as controversy escalates, 6 June 2022
- Tribune: MEA hits back at Pakistan and OIC, 7 June 2022
- AFP via Gulf News: 2 killed in India protests over remarks against Prophet, 11 June 2022
- PTI via Morung Express: UP police arrests 227 people for Friday violence, 11 June 2022
- ETV Bharat: Over 300 arrested, house of main accused demolished, 12 June 2022
- Scroll: Mamata Banerjee on Howrah violence, 11 June 2022
- Scroll: Javed Mohammed's house razed after arrest, 12 June 2022
- DT Next: Ranchi admin says police opened fire as last resort, June 2022
- The Wire: Ranchi's Muslims now live in constant fear, 16 June 2022
- Al Jazeera: Father of teen shot by India police, 24 June 2022
- The Wire: No bullets found, says post-mortem; CID to probe, 28 June 2022
- Verdictum: High Court asks why Ranchi SSP was transferred, 30 July 2022
- Outlook: Victims of Ranchi violence await justice, 22 June 2023
- Scroll: Saharanpur Police order inquiry into custody video, 16 June 2022
- Scroll: Eight men beaten in Saharanpur custody released, 4 July 2022
- LiveLaw: Allahabad HC seeks UP reply on demolition plea, June 2022
- The Quint: UP government on the Prayagraj demolition, 2022
- LiveLaw: Allahabad High Court grants bail to Javed Mohammad, Jan 2023
- Maktoob: Javed Mohammed walks out of jail after 21 months, 16 Mar 2024
- Tribune: Supreme Court on Nupur Sharma, 1 July 2022
- Al Jazeera: India top court says Nupur Sharma must apologise, 1 July 2022
- DT Next: SC grants protection to Nupur Sharma, 19 July 2022
- Scroll: Supreme Court clubs FIRs, transfers them to Delhi Police, 10 Aug 2022
- IANS via Deccan Herald: SC refuses plea seeking Nupur Sharma's arrest, 9 Sept 2022
- Kashmir Walla: Nupur Sharma gets gun licence, 13 Jan 2023
- The Quint: Old video of Nupur Sharma falsely linked to 2025 Delhi elections, 11 Jan 2025
- Onmanorama: SC lays down pan-India demolition guidelines, 13 Nov 2024
- OrissaPOST: Four years on, justice elusive in Kanhaiya Lal case, says Gehlot, 27 June 2026