Police action follows clashes related to ‘I love Muhammad’ posters, resulting in multiple arrests and property demolitions.
The police in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, shot the district president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council in the leg on Tuesday. This incident occurred as authorities attempted to arrest him in connection with clashes that erupted over the controversial ‘I love Muhammad’ posters, which became a flashpoint following Friday prayers.
According to reports from The Indian Express, the Ittehad-e-Millat Council is a regional political party led by local Muslim cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan. Raza had been arrested on Saturday and was subsequently placed in 14-day judicial custody. The unrest began when a crowd displaying the posters clashed with police outside a mosque in the Kotwali area of Bareilly. Tensions escalated after a planned protest led by Raza was canceled due to a denial of permission from local authorities. Raza reportedly claimed that this denial fueled the crowd’s anger.
When police moved to apprehend Tazim, the district president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, he allegedly fired at them using a country-made pistol. In response, police returned fire, as stated by Bareilly Additional Superintendent of Police Manush Pareek. This confrontation has resulted in Tazim’s injury and has raised questions about the escalating violence.
Following the incident, authorities reported that 17 additional individuals were arrested, bringing the total number of arrests related to the case since September 26 to 73. The arrested individuals are categorized into two groups: those accused of planning the violence and those who allegedly attacked police officers after the Friday prayers.
In the wake of Raza’s arrest, local authorities have taken significant actions against properties associated with him and his associates. The Bareilly Development Authority, along with the municipal corporation and police, has demolished several structures deemed illegal in areas such as Faiq Enclave, Jagatpur, and parts of the old city. Notably, a marriage hall belonging to Haji Sharafat Khan, a close aide of Raza, was sealed after it was alleged that he provided refuge to some individuals involved in the unrest.
Authorities also reported sealing around 74 shops at Novelty Chauhara and approximately 35 shops in Kotwali for alleged encroachments. Bareilly Development Authority vice-chairperson Manikandan A emphasized that illegal constructions on government and ceiling land would face strict action. Uttar Pradesh’s minister in charge for Bareilly, JPS Rathore, reiterated the government’s stance against anarchy and illegal occupation, warning that bulldozers would be deployed where necessary.
This series of events traces back to September 4, when a group of Muslims displayed an ‘I love Muhammad’ banner during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur. This action was met with objections from Hindu groups, claiming it introduced a new tradition to the procession. Subsequently, police initiated legal action against multiple individuals for allegedly disturbing communal harmony, igniting further protests and clashes across various districts in Uttar Pradesh and beyond.
