Bareilly: What began as a call for protest after Friday prayers on September 26 in Bareilly quickly escalated into violence, leaving the city tense and under tight police watch. The controversy surrounding the slogan “I Love Mohammad” – triggered fresh unrest in the city’s Kotwali area, forcing authorities to impose curfew-like measures and deploy heavy police presence, including drone surveillance.
The spark for Friday’s incident lies in an earlier crackdown by Kanpur police. On September 4, during Barawafat (celebrated to mark Prophet Mohammad’s birth anniversary), several Islamists youths were detained for putting up posters and banners carrying the slogan “I Love Mohammad.” The move led to outrage among sections of the community, who accused authorities of hurting religious sentiments.
In Bareilly, cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza called upon Muslim youth to gather at Islamia Ground to submit a memorandum to the administration over the issue. The district administration, however, denied permission for the demonstration, citing law and order concerns.
Despite the ban, hundreds of protestors poured onto the streets after Friday prayers. Groups carrying banners and flags began shouting slogans near Khalil School, defying police orders. According to officials, some miscreants within the crowd turned the gathering violent by pelting stones at security personnel.
The sudden escalation sent shockwaves through the city. Protesters vandalized two motorbikes and damaged a shop, while panic-stricken shopkeepers in Alamgiriganj, Bansmandi, Bara Bazaar, Kutubkhana, and Bihari Pur hurriedly pulled down shutters. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with slippers, broken glass, and stones scattered across streets.
I LOVE MOHAMMAD MARCH TURNS VIOLENT
Bareilly police resort to lathi charge after they claim they were pelted with stones.
Out of nowhere, "I Love Mohammad" rallies organised pan-India. Cultural pride and piety or Communal strength show? pic.twitter.com/2SttgSUQeF— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) September 26, 2025
DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni confirmed that police responded with lathi-charge and fired multiple rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Senior officials, including District Magistrate Avinash Singh and SSP Anurag Arya, rushed to the spot and personally led security operations.
“The administration will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands,” an official statement read, adding that several rioters had been identified and taken into custody. To restore order, heavy police deployment was made at key intersections, while additional reinforcements were dispatched from neighboring districts. Authorities also halted state-run bus services through sensitive areas such as Shyamnagar and Kohadapeer.
#WATCH | Bareilly, UP | IG Ajay Sahni says, "… Since this morning, the police had been continuously talking to the people. They were told to pray peacefully and then go home. 90% to 95% of the people prayed peacefully and then went home. Suddenly, some miscreants appeared and… pic.twitter.com/82qKiuZ9YN
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2025
Drone surveillance was introduced to monitor gatherings and ensure rapid response to any fresh disturbance. Police continued to make public announcements urging citizens to maintain peace and not fall prey to rumors.
As the situation worsened, normal life in Bareilly came to a standstill. Businesses in the old city shut down, streets were deserted, and traffic movement was heavily restricted. Residents reported an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, with families choosing to remain indoors.
While authorities maintained that the situation was under control by evening, tension remained palpable across the city. Markets stayed closed and extra police units patrolled sensitive neighborhoods well into the night.
Know who is Maulana Tauqeer Raza
At the center of the storm lies one man whose political and religious career has repeatedly been marked by controversy: Maulana Tauqeer Raza.
Raza hails from the influential Ala Hazrat family of Bareilly, the very clan that founded the Barelvi school of Sunni Islam. In Bareilly, his name carries both religious weight and political clout. His ability to mobilize large crowds, especially young followers, has made him a prominent figure in the city’s socio-political landscape. Friday’s protests, which saw violent sloganeering and police retaliation, once again underscored the sway he holds over sections of the Muslim community in western Uttar Pradesh.
Raza’s influence extends far beyond the pulpit. In 2001, he launched his own political outfit, the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, aiming to combine religious leadership with electoral power. Though initially a small player, the party’s presence was felt in Bareilly’s communal politics. By 2009, Raza shifted alliances and moved closer to the Congress, reflecting his pragmatic approach to staying relevant in state politics.
His most significant breakthrough came in 2012, when he aligned with the Samajwadi Party (SP). His outfit even managed to win the Bhojipura seat, cementing his role as a power broker. However, the partnership soured after the Muzaffarnagar riots, with Raza publicly breaking ties with the SP. He later extended support to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) during the 2014 general elections, showing his readiness to switch camps as political equations shifted.
Raza is no stranger to headlines. He has courted controversy with provocative statements against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and has previously issued a fatwa against author Taslima Nasreen, earning criticism from progressive and liberal quarters. His fiery rhetoric has often landed him in the crosshairs of successive governments.
In recent years, he has sharpened his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government, warning that “every injustice will be accounted for.” He has also alleged repeated incidents of blasphemy against the Prophet in different parts of the country, further fueling tensions. His statements, often made at rallies and press conferences, have helped sustain his image as a religious leader unafraid of challenging authority.
Friday’s flare-up took place despite the administration’s refusal to permit the gathering, and Raza had urged followers to assemble at Islamia Ground after prayers, triggering a wave of slogans and, eventually, violence. Police officials have stated that the situation escalated because of the crowd’s defiance and stone-pelting.
