Police have taken more than two dozen people into custody, officials said. Police said a large crowd carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters gathered outside the cleric's residence and near the mosque, both in the Kotwali area and located a short distance from each other, after the Friday prayers
Representational image. Pic/iStock
An announcement postponing a proposed demonstration in support of the "I Love Muhammad" campaign by cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan led to a clash between a large crowd and police outside a Bareilly mosque on Friday.
Police have taken more than two dozen people into custody, officials said. Police said a large crowd carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters gathered outside the cleric's residence and near the mosque, both in the Kotwali area and located a short distance from each other, after the Friday prayers, with people expressing anger over the suspension of the demonstration. Sources said Khan made a last-minute announcement to call off the demonstration, saying the authorities did not grant permission for it. Meanwhile, District Magistrate Avinash Singh said, "A few days ago, an organisation had proposed holding a march on Friday and submitting a memorandum in support of a protest.
We had informed it that if it was to take any such action, it would need to obtain written permission first as section 163 of the BNSS (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) is in effect throughout the district." He added that despite this, after the Friday prayers, some people took to the streets in certain areas and tried to disrupt the peace. "In response, police took strict action on the spot. The situation is completely under control. I request everyone not to pay attention to any rumours," the DM said. A statement issued by the information department of the Uttar Pradesh government said the Bareilly violence was a well-planned conspiracy. "The conspiracy was to create a negative atmosphere against industry and progress in the west (western Uttar Pradesh). The riots were used to undermine the Noida International Trade Show and demonstrate that Uttar Pradesh is still unsafe. This will prevent foreign investment from coming to Uttar Pradesh and thwart the Yogi Adityanath government's efforts to develop more hi-tech industrial cities like Noida in the west," the statement said.
The state government is investigating the conspiracy behind the Bareilly violence. Those spreading rumours will be punished according to law, the statement added. On Thursday, the cleric had warned that the demonstration would go ahead at any cost. Khan has been politically active for more than two decades with some influence in Bareilly and nearby districts. He is also the direct descendant of Ahmed Raza Khan, the founder of the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam -- one of the most prominent sects in the subcontinent. Violence unfolded outside a small mosque adjoining the Islamia ground in the heart of the city and near the Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat, the most revered shrine for the followers of the Barelvi sect. As te crowd attempted to march towards the Islamia Inter College ground, police tried to stop it at Khalil Tiraha, triggering stone pelting and vandalisation of vehicles and shops by the demonstrators, creating a stampede-like situation. No official figures were available about the number of people injured when this report was filed, even as visuals showed broken glass, scattered footwear and stones on the streets as police in anti-riot gear used force to disperse the crowd.
DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni told reporters that police were in touch with religious leaders for two days prior to the Friday prayers, which were conducted peacefully in most areas. Some mischievous elements were found raising slogans and hurling stones at police. In retaliation, mild force was used and they were arrested. "FIRs are being lodged," the DIG said. "The way the crowds came out with banners and pelted stones, it hinted towards a pre-planned conspiracy. All those involved will be identified using videos and pictures of the incident and action will be taken against them," the officer added, vowing "exemplary punishment" that would deter a repeat of this episode. Locals said panic spread in several areas as shops downed shutters following the violence, including at Alamgiriganj, Bansmandi, Civil Lines, Bada Bazaar, Qutubkhana and Bihari Pur. Stone-pelting was also reported from near Azamnagar and Kumar Talkies. Senior officers, including the DIG, SSP Anurag Arya and the DM, camped in the Kotwali area to monitor the situation.
"The situation is under control now. No untoward incident has been reported. We are appealing to people to maintain peace and harmony," the DM told reporters. Heavy police deployment has turned large parts of the city into a virtual fortress, with additional security in sensitive pockets. The genesis of the controversy dates back to September 9, when police in Kanpur filed an FIR against nine named and 15 unidentified persons for allegedly installing boards with "I Love Muhammad" written on those on a public road during a Barawafat procession. Hindu groups objected to it, calling it "deviation from tradition" and a "deliberate provocation". The controversy soon spread across several Uttar Pradesh districts and to states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka, sparking protests and police crackdowns. The row also drew the attention of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who asserted that saying "I Love Muhammad" was not a crime. Meanwhile, in a post in Hindi on X, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the police lathicharge in Bareilly and said, "A government's display of strength is a sign of its weakness. Governments function through harmony and goodwill, not lathicharge. Highly condemnable!"
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