metro india news  I Bareilly

Police have arrested eight persons, including local cleric and chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council Tauqeer Raza Khan, whose call for a protest supporting the 'I love Muhammad' campaign led to a violent clash between demonstrators and police after Friday prayers in Bareilly, officials said on Saturday.

A local court on Saturday sent 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 controversy dates back to September 9, when police in Kanpur filed an FIR against 24 persons for allegedly installing boards with ‘I Love Muhammad’ written on them during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession on September 4.

The controversy soon spread to several Uttar Pradesh districts and to states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka, sparking protests and police crackdowns. “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 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 Raza, who claimed the authorities denied permission for it.

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, 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.

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.

He is a descendant of Ahmed Raza Khan, the founder of the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam. Raza was previously accused of inciting the mob during a riot in 2010 and the anti-CAA/NRC protests in 2019-20.

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.