Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, turned tense on Friday as protests over “I Love Muhammad” placards outside Ala Hazrat Dargah and the residence of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan escalated into stone-pelting. Police responded with a lathi charge, detaining several protesters and conducting flag marches across the city to maintain order.
Police Control Situation
Inspector General Ajau Sahni confirmed that the situation is now under control. He told ANI, “We are all on the streets. There is complete peace. There is no disorder of any kind. When the force was conducting a flag march, some miscreants came out onto the streets shouting slogans. Their arrest will be ensured.”
He added that in view of Friday prayers, patrols had been intensified and citizens were urged to perform their prayers peacefully and return home.
Protests Spread to Other Cities
Similar demonstrations were reported in Lucknow and Bhopal. These protests followed an FIR registered by Kanpur police against several named and unnamed individuals for putting up “I Love Muhammad” posters during Eid Milad-un-Nabi earlier this month.
Political Reactions
The Bareilly unrest quickly drew sharp political reactions from both the ruling BJP and opposition parties.
Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Mehrotra criticized the lathi charge, saying, “Bareilly police resorted to a lathi charge, injuring many people. The BJP should not have any problem if anyone says ‘I love Mohammad.’ Similarly, anyone can say ‘I love Krishna’ or ‘I love Mahakal.’ People are free to express themselves. It is the intention of this government to target certain individuals and carry out lathi charges brutally.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav directly blamed the BJP for inciting violence, stating, “The BJP is number one in inciting violence. Whenever news comes from UP, it’s always of this nature.”
UP Congress President Ajay Rai emphasized religious harmony, noting, “Everyone should love their God. I love Mahadev. I love Ganesh Ji. I love Jesus Christ. I love Guru Nanak. I love Gautam Buddha. I love Mahavira.”
Defending the police action, BJP leaders and ministers described the protests as deliberate attempts to disturb public order. UP Minister Anil Rajbhar said, “These are people with a mindset that cannot digest India’s and UP’s development. They’ve tried everything but failed. That’s why today, a riot-fueled mentality has taken hold. However, I want to assure those with this mindset that if anyone commits such an act or attempts to disrupt UP’s peace, the government will deal with them firmly. We will take such action that even their future generations will remember it.”
Minister Asim Arun added, “Any religious or cultural event should only take place after obtaining permission. Any procession viewed as a show of strength is detrimental to the country, and divisive elements try to take India in this direction. But our government, police, and administration know how to deal with them.”
Minister Jaiveer Singh described the campaign as a deliberate attempt to disturb peace, saying, “The entire state knows the purpose of this ‘I Love Mohammad’ discourse. When no case has been registered against ‘I Love Mohammad,’ then such talk is extremely worrying, misleading, and a deliberate conspiracy to disturb the peace and order is being carried out by some people.”
UP Minister Sanjay Kumar Nishad emphasized that unauthorized processions are unacceptable, stating, “It is wrong to take out any kind of procession without permission, to spread religious frenzy, and to do politics on this.”
Heavy security was deployed across Bareilly, with flag marches carried out to maintain calm. Inspector General Ajau Sahni later said the situation was under control,