Man detained in UP for holding ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters during Friday prayers in Saharanpur
Saharanpur: A man was detained by police outside a mosque in Saharanpur on Friday for displaying posters that read "I Love Muhammad", amid a growing crackdown on the campaign across various states.
According to reports citing Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashish Tiwari, the man was taken into custody immediately after he was seen holding two such posters during Friday prayers. Authorities have also begun scrutinizing his social media activity as part of the investigation.
SSP Tiwari stated that extensive foot patrols were deployed to maintain law and order and to assure the public of their safety. Coordination meetings with religious leaders were also held in anticipation of Friday prayers. Approximately 1,500 police personnel were stationed at sensitive and high-traffic areas across Saharanpur.
The incident comes amid a nationwide crackdown on the “I Love Muhammad” campaign, which began after banners bearing the slogan were displayed during Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi processions. The civil rights collective Association for Protection of Civil Rights reported that at least 1,324 Muslims have been booked in 21 cases, and 38 people arrested across the country in connection with the campaign.
In a related incident in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, police used tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse a protest led by Maulana Tauqeer. Protesters had gathered post-Friday prayers to demand the withdrawal of FIRs filed against those displaying the “I Love Muhammad” banners in Kanpur. The situation escalated when stone-pelting broke out, prompting intervention from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
The controversy started on September 4, when a group in Kanpur displayed a “I Love Muhammad” banner during a religious procession. Hindu groups objected to what they described as the introduction of a “new tradition,” leading to tension. On September 9, police registered cases against 24 individuals, identifying 15 of them for allegedly disturbing communal harmony and introducing new customs.
Police claimed the FIRs were not for the posters themselves but for placing them in previously unused locations and allegedly tearing down other groups' posters.
The police action in Uttar Pradesh sparked similar protests and processions in other districts and states. In Uttarakhand’s Kashipur, one FIR named 401 individuals, with seven arrests made.
Protests have also been held in Karnataka, where eight people were arrested in Davanagere, and in Lucknow, where women demonstrated outside the Vidhan Bhavan demanding the withdrawal of related FIRs.
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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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