Amid the “I Love Muhammad” row in Bareilly, a quote attributed to actor Paresh Rawal has been going viral on social media, so much so, that the actor has now issued a clarification. The viral ‘I Love Muhammad’ quote suggested that the 70-year-old actor had endorsed putting stickers expressing love for Prophet Muhammad on shops.

“It’s not my thoughts or my words,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) while quoting the fake quote attributed to him.

Rawal added, “It’s incorrectly attributed to my name.” 

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What does the viral quote say?

The now-viral quote, misattributed to the former Member of the Lok Sabha, urged people to put up “I Love Muhammad” stickers on their shops and then see how many people would actually want to buy stuff from them. 

“If you truly love Prophet Muhammad, don’t just roam the streets holding banners that say I Love Muhammad. Instead, put those banners and stickers on your shops and do business under that sign. Let’s see how many people will actually buy from you,” read the viral quote attributed to him. 

What is ‘I Love Muhammad’ row?

The controversy dates back to September 9, when an FIR was registered against nine named and 15 unidentified individuals for putting up “I Love Muhammad” boards on a road in Kanpur.

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Following a call by a local cleric, Maulana Tauqeer Raza, people carrying “I Love Muhammad” placards gathered after Friday prayers and staged a procession from a nearby mosque. When the police attempted to stop them, a verbal argument broke out. It soon escalated into something serious as members of the crowd allegedly pelted stones, damaged vehicles, and forced nearby residents to take cover. 

Police arrested Raza on September 27. Police have so far named 200 people among 2,500 accused. Of these, 82 have been sent to jail. The people who are behind bars fall into two categories – those who planned the conspiracy and those who attacked the police.