Protests erupted in Bareilly (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: Bareilly Police on Sunday detained 15 people involved in stone-pelting and acts of violence during the ‘I Love Muhammad’ protests held in the district on Friday. The detained individuals are being sent to jail, authorities said.SP City Bareilly, Manush Pareek said, “Fifteen rioters are being detained and sent to jail today. Pieces of brick and stone, empty cartridges and a pistol were recovered from them.” Pareek added that the remaining rioters are being identified through CCTV footage, drone surveillance and manual intelligence. He said all those involved will be arrested and sent to jail, noting that many of the suspects reside outside Bareilly district and have previous criminal cases against them. The protests followed Friday prayers outside Ala Hazrat Dargah and the residence of IMC chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, where demonstrators held “I Love Muhammad” placards.Heavy security was deployed at both locations and Uttar Pradesh Police had resorted to a lathi charge when some participants began pelting stones.Authorities had carried out a five-kilometre flag march across key areas of the city on Thursday, including Bihari Pur police outpost, Kutubkhana, Dargah Ala Hazrat, Malookpur and the city vegetable market, to maintain law and order ahead of the protest. Officials had appealed to residents to remain calm and follow the law.The protests were triggered by a controversy over “I Love Muhammad” posters that began in Kanpur during a Barawafat procession and drew objections from right-wing Hindu groups. FIRs were filed and similar protests and crackdowns spread to several districts in Uttar Pradesh, as well as to Uttarakhand and Karnataka. Maulana Tauqeer Raza had warned that the protest would proceed “at any cost.”
