Bareilly: Amid the ongoing “I Love Mohammad” row in Bareilly and the chaos surrounding it, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Maulana Mohsin Raza on Tuesday. He was arrested in connection with protests that turned violent in the city on September 26. Several people gathered outside the Ala Hazrat Dargah and Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan’s house and started chanting “I Love Mohammad”, holding “I Love Mohammad” placards. The protest turned violent when the furious demonstrators started pelting stones at on-duty cops after Friday prayers.

“I Love Mohammad” Row: What Did Police Say?

According to Bareilly Range Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) AK Sahni, cops have arrested several associates of Maulana Tauqeer Raza. Raza has emerged as the chief conspirator in violent protest case.

“Along with Maulana Tauqeer, many of his associates have also been jailed based on evidence. People from Bengal and Bihar have also been arrested and sent to jail. It has been confirmed that this was not a sudden reaction but was pre-planned, in which many things like posters, banners, etc. were already collected,” DIG Sahni told ANI.

Why Did the Administration Carry Out Bulldozer Action on Mohsin Raza’s Property?

The Bareilly administration conducted bulldozer action on Raza’s property. The action was taken after his arrest.

It is noteworthy that Mohsin is linked to Maulana Tauqeer Raza, who was also nabbed and is currently in judicial custody.

Police Deployment Continued In Bareilly

Following the violent protests, administration has deployed heavy police force in the city on Tuesday. A situation has remained tense after the “I Love Muhammad” posters row that took a violent turn on September 26.

The police reported that demonstrators assembled outside Ala Hazrat Dargah and the residence of IMC chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, displaying placards that read ‘I Love Mohammad’ following Friday prayers. During the protests, they threw stones and engaged in clashes with law enforcement, leading to injuries and considerable damage to public property, according to the police.

Provocative Messages On Whatsapp

Police stated that demonstrators were incited by provocative messages on the instant messaging platform WhatsApp.

HIGHLIGHTS

• UP Police arrested Maulana Mohsin Raza in the “I Love Mohammad” row after violent protests in Bareilly on September 26.
• DIG AK Sahni said Maulana Tauqeer Raza was the chief conspirator, with arrests made from Bengal and Bihar.
• Bareilly administration carried out bulldozer action on Mohsin Raza’s property after his arrest.
• CM Yogi warned miscreants of strict action, calling the protests pre-planned and incited through WhatsApp messages.

What Did CM Yogi Adityanath On “I Love Muhammad” Row?

On Sunday, UP CM Yogi Adityanath reacted to the incident and warned the miscreants, involved in the violence, of police stringent action.

Addressing a public meeting in Balrampur, CM Yogi said, “A few individuals should not be allowed to spoil the environment. These are the same people who brought an identity crisis to Uttar Pradesh along with the corrupt governments. There were no investments or developments in the State due to these people.”

“Now they are adopting new tactics. But they must remember that we are more prepared than they think. They will be beaten just as they were beaten in Bareilly,” he added.

“These fools don’t even know that symbols of faith are honoured, not loved. Faith isn’t something to be displayed at crossroads; it’s a matter of conscience. Some people are creating chaos in society by giving small children posters of ‘I Love Muhammad’. They don’t even realise that their own lives are already ruined, but they’re hell-bent on ruining the lives of these children as well,” he said.

(With ANI Inputs)