GG News Bureau
Bareilly, 26th Sept: Chaos erupted in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday as police resorted to a lathicharge to control crowds following reported stone pelting by protesters after Friday prayers. The unrest stems from a controversy over an ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster that sparked tensions across the state.
Thousands gathered near Bareilly’s Islamia ground in response to a call by Maulana Tauqeer Raza, chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, to demonstrate in support of the campaign. Similar demonstrations have occurred nationwide since September 4, after police removed a tent featuring the poster in Kanpur, prompting an FIR against 24 individuals.
As the crowd swelled post-prayers, some protesters allegedly raised objectionable slogans and threw stones at police, prompting the lathicharge. At least 12 people were arrested, while 10 policemen sustained injuries. Bareilly Inspector General Ajay Sahni described the attack as “a pre-planned conspiracy” and stated that weapons were recovered from the scene.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the lathicharge, calling it a sign of governmental weakness, and stressed that harmony, not force, should guide governance.
Similar incidents were reported in Mau and Baghpat, where stone-pelting during Friday prayers led to police action. In Baghpat, cases were filed against two named and 150 unidentified individuals.
The controversy began during a September 4 Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur, when an ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster was displayed on a tent. Hindu groups objected, arguing it was deliberately placed in a mixed neighborhood. Social media amplified the row, trending with #ILoveMuhammad.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi weighed in, questioning the objections to expressions of love for the Prophet, while emphasizing religious freedom. Meanwhile, counter-campaigns like “I Love Mahadev” have emerged, with religious leaders in Varanasi claiming attempts to destabilise communal harmony.
The unrest has spread beyond Uttar Pradesh, with incidents reported in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka, prompting authorities to maintain heightened vigilance across affected states.
