Police stopped a Samajwadi Party delegation on the Meerut Expressway as they attempted to reach Bareilly amid ongoing tensions surrounding the “I Love Muhammad” controversy. Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi criticized the action, claiming constitutional values were being undermined and that people were facing persecution. He said the delegation, acting on party president instructions, was determined to witness the situation firsthand and continue their struggle from the capital.
MP Harendra Singh Malik described being prevented from traveling within their own country as “unjust,” adding that stronger action against terrorists could have prevented incidents like Pulwama and Pahalgam.
Ghazipur Border, Delhi: On being stopped from travelling to Bareilly over ‘I Love Muhammad’ row, Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi, says, “In Bareilly, the law and the Constitution are being torn apart, and people there are being persecuted. To witness this, and on the party… pic.twitter.com/S2bdXcSOq5
— IANS (@ians_india) October 4, 2025
Security in Bareilly was tightened due to Friday prayers, a week after violence erupted following congregational prayers. Internet restrictions remain in place, and markets are largely deserted. Authorities have deployed sector magistrates, paramilitary forces, and nodal officers, while senior police and administrative officials conducted foot and flag marches to maintain order.
The unrest dates back to September 26, when clashes occurred between locals and police after a protest over cancelled “I Love Muhammad” posters. Police have filed 10 FIRs, booked hundreds of people—most unidentified—and arrested over 70 individuals, including cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, his aides, and some relatives.
