Even as the situation has taken serious communal turn, posters came out in support of the chief minister and the police in Varanasi. “I love Yogi Adityanath Ji” posters with “Dhanyavad” (thanks) to the police emerged in the temple town. There was also large scale crackdown in Bareilly along with arrest of Tauqeer Raza. The Varanasi posters were also indication of shape of thing in 27 assembly election. Put up by BJP workers at Ambedkar Chauraha Varanasi the Bareilly police were lauded for action against the “I lover Mohammad” protestors, writes M Hasan
Lucknow, September 27: The UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued warning to rioters in Bareilly for disrupting law and order following “I love Mohammad” campaign. Bareilly had witnessed large scale clashes between minority community and the police on last Friday. Tension prevailed amid massive security arrangements in the city.
The “I love Muhammad” controversy began on September 9 in Kanpur, when the police booked several people for installing boards with the phrase during a Barawafat procession. Several Hindu groups had objected and called it a deviation from tradition and a provocation. The row has since spread to other parts of Uttar Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
Even as the situation has taken serious communal turn, posters came out in support of the chief minister and the police in Varanasi. “I love Yogi Adityanath Ji” posters with “Dhanyavad” (thanks) to the police emerged in the temple town. There was also large scale crackdown in Bareilly along with arrest of Tauqeer Raza. The Varanasi posters were also indication of shape of thing in 27 assembly election. Put up by BJP workers at Ambedkar Chauraha Varanasi the Bareilly police were lauded for action against the “I lover Mohammad” protestors.
Addressing gathering the Chief Minister said that no force could disrupt law and order in the state. “A cleric in Bareilly forgot who is in power in UP. He thought he could halt the system whenever he wanted. But we have made it clear, there will be no blockades, no curfews. The lesson we taught will make future generations think twice before rioting,” Adityanath said.
His comments came after cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan was detained along with more than two dozen others. Khan, who had initially announced a demonstration in support of the “I Love Muhammad” campaign, called it off last minute. However, the announcement drew large crowds near his residence and outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers.
When the crowd attempted to march towards the Islamia Inter College ground, they were stopped at Khalil Tiraha. The situation turned violent as demonstrators pelted stones, vandalised shops and vehicles and triggered a stampede-like panic. According to reports cases have been filed against 2,000 stone-pelters in Bareilly. So far, 40 have been arrested.
Tauqeer Raza Khan, a descendant of Ahmed Raza Khan, the founder of the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam, has been politically active for over two decades and exerts influence in Bareilly and neighbouring districts. Yogi Adityanath further said, “Before 2017, riots meant curfews and blockades. But in our rule, not a single curfew has been imposed. Earlier, rioters were welcomed at the CM’s residence, criminals were honoured, and the government bowed before mafia. Today, law rules the land,” he said.
Reacting to the development AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the backlash over ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters in Kanpur, arguing that expressions of faith should not be seen as provocative. Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM on Friday reacted sharply to the controversy over posters with “I Love Muhammad” written on them in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, questioning why such expressions of faith should be seen as provocative. “If there is an ‘I Love Mahadev’ group then what is the problem? What is anti-national here? What sort of violence does this promote? If the word is ‘love’ then why is anyone having a problem? I think we have to play the ‘Mohabbat Zindabad’ song from Mughal-e-Azam for these people. If there can be a ‘Happy Birthday PM Modi’ poster then why can’t there be an ‘I Love Prophet Muhammad’ poster?” Asaduddin Owaisi told reporters in poll-bound Bihar’s Purnea. Owaisi also cited Article 25 of the Constitution, saying freedom of religion was a fundamental right. “What is anti-national about this? Which part of this promotes violence? … A Muslim’s faith is not complete until he loves Prophet Muhammad more than everything else in the world. What message are you sending to the world by objecting to this?” he said.
( M Hasan is former Chief of Bureau, Hindustan Times, Lucknow)
