The district administration in Bareilly has imposed a curfew after controversial Islamic cleric Maulana Tauqir Raza announced that a protest will be held on June 10 against BJP’s Nupur Sharma over her remarks on Prophet Muhammad.
As per reports, the curfew will remain effective until July 3, 2022, to avert any law and order situation. The administrative action has been taken as a precautionary measure in the aftermath of the recent violence in Kanpur.
Reportedly, the assembly of more than 5 people will not be allowed in public places. No demonstrations can be held during the imposition of curfew. It must be mentioned that Maulana Tauqir Raza has a history of inciting violence against the Hindu community.
Tauqir Raza incited violence against Hindus
In January this year, he addressed a gathering of 20 lakh Muslims in Bareilly and threatened that Hindus would have nowhere to escape if the rage of Muslims flared. Tauqeer Raza, once an ally of the Samajwadi Party and Congress, was heard as saying, “If we rise, you can’t hide”.
“I see the anger within my Muslim youths and I am afraid that the day this anger bursts out, the day I lose control over them… I want to warn my Hindu brothers that I’m scared that the day my Muslim youths are forced to take the law into their hands, you will not find a place to hide anywhere in India”, said the Islamic leader while displaying his hate for the Hindus.
In April 2022, he provoked Muslims to take action after several BJP-led governments demolished the illegal houses of rioters. “If this government continues to do such injustice, the countrywide Jail Bharo Andolan will become so big that government will be unable to contain it. And the day Muslims come to the streets, one must understand that they will be uncontrollable, he had said.
Violence in Kanpur
On Friday (June 3), violence erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district over allegations of blasphemy committed by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The Muslim community had given a call for a shutdown in the area to protest, which turned violent after the Friday prayers.
As per reports, the members of the Muslim community clashed with the State Police and other civilians and pelted stones in the Becongunj area near Yatimkhana. Controversy erupted after Muslim leader Hayat Zafar Hashmi called for a ‘market bandh’ in protest against the alleged remarks made by Sharma last week.
Hundreds of Islamists joined the protest on June 3 and began to pelt stones after the Friday Namaz. The Police responded to the violence and lathi-charged some of the protesters. While they tried to get the situation under control, fierce stone pelting continued intermittently.