Muslim cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police following violent clashes in Bareilly sparked by protests supporting the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign.
The unrest erupted after Friday prayers in Bareilly, leading to injuries among at least 22 policemen and the arrest of over two dozen individuals involved in the violence.
Authorities had placed Raza under house arrest last night. He was detained in the early morning and was presented at a court at 6 AM after getting his medical tests done. The court has sent him to jail, who has been shifted to Sitapur Jail due to security concerns.
Notably, clashes broke out between local Muslims and police outside a mosque after Friday prayers in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district. On the call of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, a Muslim crowd had gathered in the city in support of ‘I Love Mohammad’. They wanted to go to Islamia Maidan, and when police tried to stop them, the extremists pelted the police with stones while chanting “Allahu Akbar” slogans.
The rioters vandalized shops and vehicles near Khalil School intersection. Hundreds of people took to the streets in various areas of the city, carrying posters and banners reading “I Love Muhammad.”
The police then resorted to tear gas shelling and lathi-charge to control the situation. Police filed several FIRs against Tauqeer Raza Khan and hundreds of rioters in various police stations.
Cases have been registered at the Kotwali, Baradari, Premnagar, and Kila police stations against large number of named and unnamed people. Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan has been named as the main accused in the case for instigating the riots.
A similar incident later took place in Mau in the state.
