These protests were not peaceful, and let's be clear: legitimate protests are legitimate protests, but when violence occurs, only an iron hand can determine who was responsible and why innocent citizens were manipulated into horrifying scenes in various parts of the country as they descended and spiraled into violence.

Was it on purpose?

I'd want to focus on the protests since many of the events in different parts of the country were far from peaceful. They were anything but peaceful because, just after Friday prayers, protests started to spread at a near-synchronized speed. Not only in Delhi but also in Ranchi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Srinagar, and numerous other cities. Stones were thrown, automobiles were set on fire, and police personnel was attacked.

Let me be clear: those who have broken the law must face the penalties, and if specific organizations have influenced people, they must meet the total weight of the law.

There must be a delicate balance. There must be a way to unite communities and prevent special interests from influencing a unified India.

Will rioters face harsh consequences in multiple locations around the country?

Has today polarised this climate more than ever before, maybe more than anything else in recent times, and benefited the BJP or someone else, given that elections are also on the horizon and polarisation seems to be a dominant political theme?

Many of today's demonstrations were far from peaceful. Justice cannot be served on the road. The cornerstone of justice is the constitution. Justice should be dispensed in conformity with the nation's laws.

What were the goals of these protests? 

Yes, you might claim that it's to vent fury, yet property has been torched, stones have been thrown, and an effigy of Nupur Sharma has been hung up from telephone wires. 

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Protests occurred in over 35 districts throughout the country, and to claim they were entirely spontaneous is to live in a fool's paradise.

In their restraint, the police were model citizens, and those who legitimize violence and violent agitation in peace, demanding Nupur Sharma's head in the name of peace, must think again. Even if you disagree with her, no one in our society will punish her since she has already apologized.

Muslims' response is another example of how two wrongs do not equal a right. I must emphasize that resorting to violence or taking the law into your own hands is never a wise strategy. Our country has agencies and a legal system, and every law-abiding citizen should faithfully follow them.

Hindus and Muslims serve as India's two eyes; they must cohabit, and both must be operational and engaged in active cooperation with one another. The scars from today will be severe. The aftermath, impact, and consequences will be felt in the coming days.

Let me repeat it: we're all Indian citizens, and this is something we must examine for ourselves, something we must not allow to flare up and go further. 

How long can this go on, and how might entrenched interests affect and exacerbate the situation? Day after day, week after week, it's been two weeks since the remark was made. How much does India have to suffer for a single statement?

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