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Ghaziabad: Man arrested for Prophet poster after protest by Bajrang Dal

Police say ‘I Love Mohammad’ poster was found pasted outside the labourer’s house in Ghaziabad

bareillyIn this case, the administration and the police appeared unprepared to handle such a massive gathering. The lack of intelligence inputs and preventive measures further worsened the unrest. Social media rumours also aggravated tensions.

Ghaziabad Police has arrested a 45-year-old man over ‘I Love Mohammad’ posters pasted in front of his Kidwai Nagar house. The police took action after Bajrang Dal workers protested over ‘I love Mohammad’ posters and banners in the area.

ACP (Modinagar) Amit Saxena said the labourer, identified as Sherdil, was arrested on Saturday under section 151 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows preventive detention for maintaining peace and harmony.

“He has been placed under judicial custody. He will be presented in the court for a bail hearing tomorrow (Monday),” SHO Modinagar Naresh Kumar Sharma said.

Bajrang Dal district unit president Madhur Nehra, who led the protest at the police station, said they threatened to remove the posters if police failed to take action.

“We received complaints from residents of the area that ‘I love Mohammad’ posters have sprung up in different parts of the city. We submitted a complaint to the police. We have been informed that an appropriate action has been taken in this regard,” the Bajrang Dal leader said.

A team of police later removed the posters, including a banner, in the area.

The arrest of the man comes amid heightened tension across Uttar Pradesh over religious posters. On Friday, Bareilly witnessed violent protests over ‘I Love Mohammad’ posters.

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Bajrang Dal demands ouster of Muslim vendors outside Navratri fair, police say ‘looking into the matter’

Meanwhile, the local unit of the Bajrang Dal objected to the alleged presence of Muslim vendors outside Sikri Mahamaya Temple during the ongoing Navratri fair, and sought their removal.

“This fair is entirely religious and faith-based. But some people from the Muslim community have set up shops in the fair outside the temple. These shops are hurting the religious sentiments of the devotees and destroying the sanctity of the fair environment,” the Bajrang Dal leader told the ACP in a letter.

“Therefore, you are requested to immediately close all such shops so that the Navratri fair can be completed in a completely religious atmosphere and peace. If immediate action is not taken on this matter, anger may spread among the devotees for which the administration will be fully responsible,” the letter stated.

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ACP Saxena said the police were looking into the issue. “We are checking what kind of shops have been put up outside the Navratri fair. Once our investigation is completed, we will be taking appropriate action in this matter too,” the ACP added.

Saman Husain is a Correspondent at The Indian Express. Based in New Delhi, she is an emerging voice in political journalism, reporting on civic governance, elections, migration, and the social consequences of policy, with a focus on ground-reporting across Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Honours) from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beats: Her reporting focuses on the national capital’s governance and politics. She specializes in Delhi’s civic administration and the city units of the BJP, AAP and Congress. In western Uttar Pradesh, she mostly reports on crime. Specialization: She has a keen interest in electoral processes and politics — her recent contributions include work on electoral roll revisions. Recent Notable Articles (since July 2025) Her recent work reflects a strong show-not-tell approach to storytelling, combining narrative reporting with political and historical context: 1. Politics: “On the banks of the Yamuna, a political tussle for Purvanchali support” (October 6): A report on how migration histories shaped electoral strategies in Delhi before the Bihar elections. “Explained: How Delhi’s natural drainage vanished gradually over the centuries” (September 29): An explanatory piece tracing the historical reasons that eventually led to the erosion of Delhi’s rivers and its impact on perrenial flooding. 2. Longforms “Four weddings, three funerals: How a Uttar Pradesh man swindled insurance companies” (October 7): A long-read reconstructing a chilling fraud by a man who killed three of his family members, including both his parents for insurance proceeds. His fourth wife discovered his fraud… “How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy of a country that doesn’t exist — for 9 years” (July 27) : A story on bizarre fraud operation and the institutional blind spots that enabled it. 3. Crime and Justice: “He was 8 when his father was killed. Fifteen years later, in UP’s Shamli, he took revenge” (October 18): A deeply reported crime story tracing cycles of violence, memory and justice in rural Uttar Pradesh. “Who killed 19 girls in Nithari? With the SC rejecting appeals, there are no answers and no closure” (July 31): A report capturing the long legal and emotional aftermath of one of India’s most chilling unsolved criminal cases. 4. Policy Impact “At Manthan, over US tariffs, Delhi-NCR’s apparel industry brainstorms solutions” (September 8) and “Trump’s 50% tariff begins to bite: Agra’s leather belt feels the impact” (August 13) : Reports documenting how global trade decisions ripple through local industries, workers and exporters. Signature Style Saman is recognized for her grassroots storytelling. Her articles often focus on the "people behind the policy". She is particularly skilled at taking mundane administrative processes and turning them into compelling human narratives. X (Twitter): @SamanHusain9 ... Read More

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