UP police detain Kerala MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer from visiting riot-hit Kanpur

Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday blocked Indian Union Muslim League leader ET Mohammed Basheer from visiting Kanpur where riots happened last week, Maktoob Media reported.

Reports said that the MP and other leaders were detained by UP police at Kanpur after trying to visit its people who are being targeted by Police for protesting blasphemy.

The violence had broken out in three areas - Parade Ground, Nai Sadak, and Yateem Khana - after two groups clashed over the market shutdown.

A non-governmental organization active for eight years, the MM Jauhar Fans Association, gave a call for shops to close so that a silent protest could be conducted against the now-axed Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma's comments against Prophet Mohammed on TV.

This NGO's founder and president, Zafar Hayat Hashmi, is now being seen by police as the "key conspirator" in the case.

Meanwhile, the families of Muslim youth who were booked and arrested in connection with the Kanpur violence have alleged that several men have been picked up simply because they were Muslims. Though the police are calling the incident a clash between two sides – Muslims and Hindus – all arrestees are Muslims. At least 54 Muslims were held till Friday.

Amid allegations that innocent persons were being booked for Friday clashes, police on Thursday formed a four-member committee to look into the evidence provided by the family of the accused. The committee, which will be headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Kanpur) Tiwari, includes DCP (East) Pramod Kumar, DCP West BBGTS Murthy, and Additional Police Commissioner Akmal Khan.

According to sources, police have received several applications from the family members of the accused, claiming that they were being falsely charged.