Police have arrested Harshit Srivastava, a member of the youth wing of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian People's Party), for insulting the Prophet Muhammad, Radio India reported.

Srivastava was arrested in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for posting on Twitter. “His posts were objectionable. Police took immediate action and registered a case under relevant sections, following which he was arrested,” the radio quoted law enforcement officials as saying.

Police apprehended 12 others in Kanpur during Friday's sectarian clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the city. The total number of apprehended exceeded 50.

The clashes were sparked by the scandal of BJP official Nipur Sharma insulting the Prophet Muhammad during a nationally televised debate last week. The words immediately sparked protests from many Muslim states, including Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.