Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly on Friday witnessed violent clashes between locals and police officials after the Friday prayers as several agitators gathered in support of the “I Love Muhammad” campaign on the call of a local cleric. A large crowd gathered outside the cleric’s house near a mosque, with many expressing anger over last-minute suspension of the protest as the same was denied by the local authorities. 

The cleric, Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza, reportedly had given the call. Some of the protesters were not satisfied with the action and resorted to violence, compelling the police officials to resort to lathi-charge. 

“The situation is now normal and under control. No untoward incident has been reported. We are appealing to people to maintain peace and harmony,” District Magistrate Avinash Singh told reporters, hours after the violence broke out, reported PTI.

Protesters pelted stones at the cops, forcing them to use batons to disperse the crowd. The authorities had to rope in additional forces as the crowd swelled leading to a situation of stampede. The protesters carried ‘I Love Muhammad’ placards with them. A large number of slippers were found abandoned on the road as police tried to control the crowd. A heavy security force has, meanwhile, been deployed in the area.

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What is the ‘I Love Muhammad’ controversy?

What happened in Bareilly was not sudden as the ‘I Love Muhammad’ row dates back to September 9 when an FIR was filed against nine named and 15 unidentified persons for allegedly installing boards with “I Love Muhammad” written on them on a public road in Kanpur. The incident happened during a Barawafat procession on September 4.

While the procession was a regular thing, Hindu organisations objected to the posters and called it a “new trend”. They alleged it was a deliberate provocation. The matter became serious after AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in a social media post asserted that saying “I Love Muhammad” was not a crime.

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What happened in Bareilly? 

The police did a flag march on Thursday ahead of cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s sit-in at Islamia Ground on Friday over the “I Love Muhammad” poster row. However, despite no permission, a large crowd gathered outside the cleric’s home. Enraged by the cancelling of the protest, they hurled stones at the police officials.

Earlier, at a press conference, Tauqeer Raza pointed to alleged instances of derogatory remarks against the Prophet in different parts of the country, including Shahjahanpur.

When the cops tried to contain the protesters, some of them also shouted “Allahu Akbar”.

“Friday prayers are being held today. I, along with a significant police force, the SP, the SSP, the DM, and other officials, am actively conducting foot patrolling across the city. Prayers have started peacefully at several locations, with some already finished… The public has been advised to resume their regular activities after the prayers… Additionally, discussions have been held with religious leaders to ensure everything proceeds smoothly… Here, 12 company personnel from the RAF and RRF have been deployed, along with a significant presence of civil forces,” IG Ajay Sahni said.