Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 27: Amidst stern warning from the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to all the alleged miscreants, the police have arrested eight persons, including local cleric and chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council Tauqeer Raza Khan, whose call for a protest against removal of placards displaying “I Love Muhammad” led to a violent clash between demonstrators and police after Friday prayers in Bareilly, officials said on Saturday.
A local court on Saturday sent Mr Raza and the seven “mischievous elements” to 14-day judicial custody for allegedly masterminding the violent clash, police said. District Magistrate Avinash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya announced the arrests at a joint press conference on Saturday. “The main conspirator of the Bareilly unrest, Maulana Tauqeer Raza, along with seven mischievous elements, have been arrested, produced in court, and sent to 14-day judicial custody,” DM Singh said.
The arrest came soon after Yogi Adityanath cautioned the miscreants against indulging in any kind of violence. “Yesterday, a Maulana forgot who is in power in the state,” Adityanath said, without taking any names. “He thought he could halt the system whenever he wanted, but we made it clear that there would be neither a roadblock nor a curfew. However, the lesson we have taught will make future generations think twice before rioting,” Mr Adityanath said.
The development followed a day of tension in Bareilly where a large crowd carrying ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters clashed with police outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers. The crowd was reportedly angry over the last-minute cancellation of a proposed demonstration called by Mr Raza, who claimed the authorities denied permission for it.
Mr Raza has been accused of using inflammatory speeches to incite the violence on Friday. According to the SSP, a crowd of youth took to the streets on Raza’s provocation, creating an atmosphere of “anarchy” from Khaleel Tiraha up to the Islamia ground. The seven other accused have been identified as Sarfaraz, Manifuddin, Azeem Ahmed, Mohammed Sharif, Mohammed Aamir, Rehan and Mohammad Sarfaraz, police said.
Police have also detained 36 persons for questioning in connection with Friday’s violence after identifying them through video footage of the incident. According to the SSP, Mr Raza was under surveillance since Friday, despite his attempts to “mislead” the authorities. The cleric reportedly spent Friday night at the house of Farhat, an Ittehad-e-Millat Council leader and friend, though his supporters were told that he had left for Delhi, the officer said.
In the early hours of Saturday, a police team led by SP (Traffic) Akmal Khan formally arrested Raza and moved him to a secure location. He was produced in court on Saturday morning under heavy security. Mr Raza, the founder of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, has been politically active for more than two decades, with some influence in Bareilly and nearby districts. Police said “using obscene language and provocative speeches against the government were part of the Maulana’s nature, which he used to further his political interests”.
His arrest followed a night of tension during which Raza released a video claiming police atrocity. He also congratulated those injured in Friday’s clash and said, “I would be happy if I were arrested. Just like [gangster] Atiq Ahmad was shot, shoot me as well.” DM Singh and DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni on Friday said the violence was the result of a planned conspiracy, calling it an attempt to disrupt peace despite the imposition of Section 163 of BNSS in the district, which prohibits unauthorised assemblies.
“A few days ago, an organisation proposed holding a march on Friday and submitting a memorandum in support of a protest. We informed them that written permission would be needed for any such programme, as Section 163 of the BNSS (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) is in effect throughout the district,” Singh said. Despite this, some people took to the streets after the Friday prayers and tried to disrupt peace, he said.
On Saturday morning, Mr Adityanath said the state government had sent a firm message that disrupting law and order will not be tolerated at any cost. Questioning the intent behind the public gathering, the Chief Minister said, “This was the trend in Uttar Pradesh before 2017. But after 2017, we have not allowed even a curfew.”
District Magistrate Avinash Singh said Raza’s representatives had been clearly informed that permission for any programme or procession had not been granted. “We had told his representative that Section 163 of the BNSS had been imposed and that no gathering would be allowed. They had agreed and assured us that they would not hold the march. However, some people tried to go ahead after Friday prayers, and that led to the situation turning tense,” the District Magistrate said.
Bareilly Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said while most people dispersed peacefully, a section of the crowd tried to disturb law and order. “Around 80 to 90 per cent people left after prayers, but a few individuals attempted to provoke others and moved towards Islamia Ground. We have reason to believe that some external criminal elements were also involved,” the SSP said.
Top officials have directed authorities in Bareilly to take stern action against those disrupting normalcy. This is the latest stand-off in a row that began weeks ago over an ‘I love Muhammad’ poster. A similar violence took place during protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau after Friday prayers as some demonstrators allegedly pelted stones upon being asked to return home. The police then resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd.
The protests in support of the ‘I love Muhammad’ campaign have spread across the country. Earlier this week, a group of minority community members damaged several shops and vehicles and threw stones at a village in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district. Posters with ‘I love Mohammed’ text written on them cropped up in Karnataka’s Davangere, leading to stone pelting between two groups. Unrest was also reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao, Maharajganj, Lucknow, and Kaushambi.