Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 2: Security across four districts of Bareilly division in Uttar Pradesh has been beefed and Internet services suspended for 48 hours on Thursday afternoon ahead of Dussehra celebrations amid ongoing tension over the ‘I love Muhammad’ poster row, with police, PAC, and RAF personnel deployed on the streets and drones monitoring the skies.
Internet services were suspended for 48 hours Thursday afternoon – till 3 pm on Saturday. In the order announcing the internet shutdown, the district administration said ‘there is a possibility of social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp… being misused to spread rumours and incite communal tension.’ The step was taken to maintain peace, it said. Security forces also operated drones in various areas to maintain law and order.
The high alert comes after a September 26 clash in Kotwali, leading to stone-pelting after a protest over the “I Love Muhammad” poster.
A notification from the home department stated that mobile internet, broadband, and SMS services in Bareilly will remain suspended from 3 pm on October 2 to 3 pm on October 4.
Home secretary Gaurav Dayal explained the move, saying, “There is a possibility of social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp, and messaging services being misused to spread rumours and incite communal tension.” “This step is being taken to maintain peace and public order,” Dayal added.
Divisional Commissioner Bhupendra S Chaudhary, meanwhile, issued a high alert for Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit and Budaun districts. Police have been directed to remain vigilant at Ramlila grounds, Durga Puja fairs, and Ravan Dahan programmes, which attract large crowds.
Chaudhary warned, “All district magistrate, deputy collectors, police and administrative officials must discharge their responsibilities seriously. Any lapse will invite stern action.” Officials said intelligence agencies have been put on alert, with teams deployed in the field. An official added, “Armed police forces are being positioned at sensitive locations. We are ensuring foolproof arrangements so that the disturbances witnessed in Bareilly do not spill over to neighbouring districts.”
The heightened vigilance follows a clash on September 26 between police and around 2,000 people outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers. Unrest broke out in the city after crowds gathered in support of the “I Love Muhammad” campaign, called by Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan.
According to police, in the absence of the Maulana, the gathering turned violent, leading to the vandalism of shops and vehicles. Authorities responded with a lathicharge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Reports stated that 22 policemen were injured during the clashes.
In the aftermath, police registered 10 FIRs across multiple stations, naming 125 accused along with nearly 3,000 unidentified individuals. Maulana Tauqeer Raza has been named in seven of these cases. Till Wednesday, 81 people had been arrested in connection with the September 26 violence.
Last week 2,000 people gathered outside a mosque in the town’s Kotwali area clashed with police after Friday prayers. Stone-pelting was also reported. The unrest was due to cancellation of a protest – over the ‘I love Muhammad’ poster row – called for by cleric Tauqeer Khan.
Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised the authorities’ response to the circulation of “I Love Muhammad” posters and signs, and claimed that it was permitted to say “I Love Modi” but not “I Love Muhammad.”
Mr Owaisi, who is the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president, drew attention to the state of affairs in the country which he maintained allowed citizens to openly declare “I love Modi” but not “I love Muhammad.” “What do you want to make of this country? If I am Muslim, it is because of Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam (Peace be upon him). There is nothing before and after this,” he said.
Warning those who supported the lathi charge that reportedly was actioned on Muslim demonstrators, Mr Owaisi cautioned that police answer only to those in power, and that their affinity shifts when there is a change of those in power. “If you are removed from power tomorrow, they will redden your backs. I have seen this with my own eyes. When NTR was out of power, the officer he had appointed as commissioner grabbed him by the waist and tossed him into a police vehicle,” he said.
Mr Owaisi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), asserting that before its formation, none of its members were killed in the freedom struggle. He added that RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar attempted to induct members while imprisoned. The AIMIM chief cautioned the youth to stay away from violence, or breaking the law. He said whatever they decide to do should be within the confines of the law.
