Cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan detained after Bareilly protest over ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign
Bareilly: Police on Saturday detained cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, a day after his call for a protest in support of the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign led to clashes in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya confirmed the detention, stating that the situation was “peaceful and under control.”
The violence erupted Friday outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers, when a crowd carrying ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters clashed with police. Protesters were reportedly angered by the cancellation of a demonstration earlier announced by Raza, who claimed authorities had denied permission. The clashes involved stone-pelting and vandalism, resulting in over two dozen arrests.
In a video statement released later, Raza alleged he had been placed under house arrest and accused police of deliberately targeting Muslims. He expressed regret at not being able to submit a memorandum to the President of India through the district magistrate and warned that attempts to suppress the issue would only intensify protests.
District officials, however, described the violence as a “planned conspiracy” to disturb peace, pointing out that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were in force and permission for the march had been denied.
The ‘I Love Muhammad’ controversy, which began earlier this month in Kanpur after police booked 24 people for displaying banners with the slogan during Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, has since spread to multiple districts across Uttar Pradesh as well as to states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka. Hindu groups have objected to the banners, calling them provocative.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has also weighed in, saying that “expressing love for the Prophet is not a crime.”
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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