A week after violent clashes rocked Bareilly when police stopped people carrying ‘I Love Muhammad’ placards, Deputy Inspector General (Bareilly Range) Ajay Kumar Sahni clarified on Saturday that the posters were never the issue. He said the objection was to the large gathering, which disturbed law and order. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sahni said the situation was brought under control and the city remains peaceful. He added that the police are closely monitoring all developments. “We have constituted a 13-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an officer of SP rank. The SIT also includes two Deputy SPs and 10 Inspectors. They are investigating the 10 FIRs registered under relevant sections of the BNS, including charges of rioting and forgery,” Sahni said. When asked about the police objecting to people displaying ‘I love Muhammad’ hoardings and posters, Sahni said, “The posters were never an issue. In fact, even before last Friday’s incident, we had informed the organisers of the gathering about this. However, when they took the law into their own hands by pelting stones at the police, we were compelled to take action,” Sahni said. “People who want to put up posters saying ‘I Love Muhammad’ at their homes, mosques, or Idgahs are free to do so. It is their personal religious matter. However, organising gatherings, holding marches, and creating a ruckus in the name of ‘I Love Muhammad’ will not be allowed,” the DIG asserted. “The incident in Kanpur was different. People should avoid repeating it in other cities,” he added. In August, Kanpur Police had booked nine persons over ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters and a lightboard — triggering protests not just in Uttar Pradesh but in Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka. The lightboard was part of the annual Barawafat procession in Kanpur, held to commemorate the birth of Prophet Mohammad. Kanpur Police, however, had said the FIR was not over the installation of the board, but over an incident in which religious posters were torn. Asked whether the police had removed such posters in Bareilly city, Sahni responded, “This information is incorrect.” Sahni said there was a call for a gathering on September 26 by Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief, Maulana Tauqeer Khan, and others. “They had already been advised to avoid large gatherings and refrain from holding any marches, as disturbances were anticipated by security agencies. We informed them about the ongoing Navratri festival. The shops were open and crowded. Despite our repeated requests and appeals, they assembled and attempted to incite unrest,” Sahni said. So far, police have arrested a total of 84 people, including Tauqeer, for their alleged role in the protests. Ahead of this Friday’s prayers, Home Secretary Gaurav Dayal in Lucknow issued an order to suspend internet services from Thursday until Saturday.
