NEW DELHI: Protests over “I Love Muhammad” posters in Uttar Pradesh turned violent after Friday prayers, raising tensions ahead of the Dussehra festival. Religious and political leaders have appealed for calm following protests over “I Love Muhammad” posters.

Violent protests in BareillyOver 1,000 people gathered near the Islamia Ground in Bareilly, carrying banners and placards with religious slogans. Protesters pelted stones at police and vandalised vehicles. Police responded with a lathi charge and tear gas, leading to a stampede-like situation. Authorities said protesters also fired in the air, leaving at least 10 police personnel injured.What triggered the protests?The protests followed a call by Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan for a procession to the District Magistrate’s office to submit a memorandum to PM Modi. This was to protest the registration of an FIR by Kanpur police over the “I Love Muhammad” board put up for the Barawafat procession on September 4.Detentions, FIRsFifty people, including Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, were detained for questioning. Police sources confirmed that FIRs are being registered at three to four stations in the city, and search operations are ongoing.‘No one should be spared’: CM YogiAhead of Dussehra, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed authorities to take strict action against miscreants and ensure heightened security. He said, “Every miscreant should be identified; no one should be spared through video footage and social media monitoring.” He emphasised that Dussehra “symbolises the burning of evil and terror; this is the right time to take action against miscreants.”CM Yogi warned against rumour-mongering and attempts to incite caste tensions. “Arrest the rumour-mongers,” he said, urging local authorities and watchmen to maintain vigilance and ensure full compliance with state directives during the festive period.Appeal to uphold peaceIn Bareilly, All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi called the incidents “unfortunate” and urged people to uphold peace. “…The incident is unfortunate. Such incidents should not occur on either side. I appeal to everyone to uphold peace. The only way to love Paigambar-e-Islam is to not hurt anyone, neither through words nor through actions and uphold peace. He has given a message of peace to the entire world. So, I urge all Muslims to maintain law and order, not take law into their hands and not cause conflicts with anyone – neither with the Police nor with the Administration…Follow what Paigambar-e-Islam said and the path He showed. This is the biggest love,” he said.‘Biggest Muslim population in Asia lives in India’: OwaisiMeanwhile, in Purnea, Bihar, AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the reaction against the posters. “…What is anti-national about love? Are we promoting violence with love? What is the problem? This means you are against love… A Muslim is not a true Muslim till the time he believes in Mohammad as the last messenger of Allah… The biggest Muslim population in Asia lives in India. What kind of message are you giving with this reaction of yours? Happy Birthday, Prime Minister, and Happy Birthday, Chief Minister posters are allowed, but not this? They dont want anyone to talk about love... What will happen? Where will we go?…” he asked.Police responseUttar Pradesh Police conducted flag marches in Bareilly ahead of the protest. District Magistrate Avinash Singh and SSP Anurag Arya led the march involving police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and paramilitary forces. “The district is under Section 163, so no protest can be held without permission,” DM Singh said.Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya said, “Strict action will be taken against those who broke the law.” Bareilly range DIG Ajay Kumar Sahani added that police have videos and call records of the instigators and teams are working to identify and arrest them.Row spreads beyond BareillyThe row spread beyond Bareilly, with similar demonstrations reported in Mau, Varanasi, Moradabad, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, and Maharashtra. In Mau, an unauthorised procession mostly involving children was dispersed by police, and four to five people were taken for questioning. In Beed, Maharashtra, police registered a case against a cleric for allegedly making inflammatory remarks against UP CM Yogi Adityanath during a protest on September 23.Festive safety measuresPolice have been instructed to conduct surprise inspections of slaughterhouses, manage traffic near celebrations, and maintain law and order at Durga Puja and Ravana Dahan events. Idol heights must remain within safety norms, and alternative arrangements for immersions should be made. CM Yogi also stressed stronger measures for women’s safety, surveillance at garba and dandiya events, and the effective implementation of Mission Shakti 5.0.‘Police dispersed the crowd using minimal force’: Bareilly SSPBareilly SSP Anurag Arya acknowledged the violence on Friday and said that strict action will be taken against the perpetrators. “There was no disturbance throughout the day… Friday prayers were held safely at almost all locations in the district… Only in the Kotwali area, where a call had been made about gathering at Islamia Ground, a large number of people gathered around 2:30 pm and insisted on going to Islamia Ground at various intersections… Meetings were held at various locations, informing everyone that the permission requested at Islamia Ground had not been granted by the government, administration, or police. Those who arrived misbehaved with the police and pelted stones at them. When people did not comply, the police, in accordance with their training, dispersed the crowd using minimal force… We are conducting a detailed investigation to determine who was directly involved in this. Strict action will be taken against them… Information about firing has also been received… Strict action will be taken against those who were involved in making the call, gathering people, and misleading the police administration, ” the Bareilly SSP said.