A spokesman for India’s ruling party insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims in India and abroad are outraged. There have been deaths during the protests.

Two people were shot dead by police during protests against controversial statements by a spokesman for India’s ruling party about the Prophet Muhammad. The crowd in the eastern Indian city of Ranchi threw bottles and stones at Friday’s demonstration and defied police orders, a police spokesman told AFP on Saturday. The police were then “forced” to open fire.

Nupur Sharma, spokeswoman for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party, spoke in a televised debate about the relationship between the Prophet Muhammad and his youngest wife. His remarks were perceived as an insult by many Muslims in neighboring India. The scandal has kept India tense for days and has become widespread. Nearly 20 countries summoned India’s diplomatic representatives after the statement.

The BJP sought to limit the damage and has since removed the spokesperson from the party. The Modi government and the BJP have been repeatedly accused of implementing discriminatory policies against Muslims.

Protest: Many Muslims take to the streets in India

Dozens of Muslims across India took to the streets after Friday prayers in protest at statements made about the Prophet Muhammad. Some of the protesters burned a photo of the woman. According to police, dozens of people were arrested during the protests in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

According to police estimates, more than 100,000 people also took to the streets in Bangladesh on Friday. About 5,000 people took part in a rally organized by a radical religious party in the Pakistani city of Lahore.