SRINAGAR: Congress MP Imran Masood was placed under house arrest in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday as tensions simmered across the region following violence linked to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster row in Bareilly. Masood, who planned to lead a party delegation to meet senior police officials and assess conditions in the violence-affected city, was prevented from leaving his residence by a heavy police presence. Local authorities cited security and law-and-order concerns, deploying officers overnight to enforce the restrictions.
The unrest in Bareilly erupted after Friday prayers on September 26, when over a thousand people assembled near the Islamia Ground, waving religious banners and chanting slogans in response to a call by cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan. The protest was triggered by an FIR filed in Kanpur regarding a Barawafat poster reading “I Love Muhammad”, which sparked controversy and allegations of religious provocation. The demonstration quickly spiralled into violence: parts of the crowd resorted to stone-pelting, vandalism and even aerial firing, prompting police to respond with tear gas and lathi charges. Ten police personnel sustained injuries, and the chaos led to a stampede-like situation.
In the police crackdown that followed, at least 50 individuals, including Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, were detained, with FIRs registered against hundreds of unidentified persons across several police stations. Weapons were seized from the scene, and authorities are currently examining video footage and mobile records to identify additional suspects. A heavy security deployment remains across Bareilly, even as sporadic protests continue.
Imran Masood, speaking to media from his Saharanpur residence, criticised the government’s approach as “discriminatory” and claimed selective targeting of Muslim community members, citing previous communal incidents in Uttar Pradesh. He asserted the Congress delegation’s purpose was entirely peaceful and aimed at promoting dialogue, and condemned the suppression of opposition leaders attempting to visit affected communities. Other political leaders, including Samajwadi Party MLA Shahnavaz Khan, were similarly confined to their homes.
Authorities have maintained that the restrictions are necessary to preserve order and prevent further escalation, but opposition leaders have described the move as undemocratic and warned that the crisis underscores a climate of deepening mistrust and communal strain in western Uttar Pradesh.
