Following protests in Bareilly over ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters, stone-pelting erupted and police used lathi charge, detaining many. Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi has appealed for peace, urging Muslims to avoid confrontation with police or administration.
The trouble began on September 4, 2025, during the Barawafat (Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi) procession in Rawatpur, Kanpur. A banner or lightboard with the words ‘I Love Muhammad’ was placed along the procession route. Some local groups objected, saying this was a ‘new tradition’ inserted into a route with established customs.
The Kanpur police then intervened. They contended that inserting new structures or tents on public roads without permission violates norms. The tent/banner was relocated to the traditional site. An FIR was filed on September 9 against 24 persons (nine named, 15 unnamed), alleging the introduction of new practices during the procession and disturbance of communal harmony.
Though the FIR wasn’t explicitly about the slogan itself, the controversy grew in intensity. Protests in support of the slogan began in other UP districts and counter-campaigns emerged (for example, ‘I Love Mahadev’ posters in Varanasi).
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Thus, the ‘I Love Muhammad’ issue transformed from a dispute about placement of a structure in Kanpur to a broader campaign across multiple cities in the state.
What happened in Bareilly? Protest after Friday prayers
On September 26, following Friday prayers, crowds congregated near the Ala Hazrat Dargah and outside the residence of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in the Kotwali area of Bareilly. They carried placards with ‘I Love Muhammad’ slogans, following appeals by clerics to express solidarity with those in Kanpur.
The demonstration had been postponed or restricted, which further angered congregants. Some of them gathered near the mosque and the cleric’s home, demanding action. Locals say the protest was initially peaceful.
Clashes, stone pelting, lathi-charge
Tension escalated when protesters reportedly began throwing stones at police personnel stationed to maintain order. In response, the police deployed a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. According to IG Ajay Sahni, miscreants emerged while security forces were conducting a flag march. He said video evidence was recorded, and arrests would follow. He claimed there was no lingering disorder.
The District Magistrate Avinash Singh later stated that the situation was ‘normal and under control’, and no untoward incidents were being reported.
Reports say 10 police personnel were injured in the clashes. Several protesters were detained.
Vehicles and surroundings near the protest area reportedly saw damage, with scattered stones, slippers and debris.
Administrative deployment
Police forces were deployed outside the Ala Hazrat Dargah and Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan’s house. Authorities sought to prevent further escalation. State ministers also responded. UP minister Suresh Khanna reiterated that no one is allowed to take law into their hands under the Yogi Adityanath government.
Some opposition voices criticized the lathi charge. The Samajwadi Party objected, saying governments should aim for goodwill, not excessive force. The administration has indicated it will act firmly against those disrupting peace.
Appeal by Maulana Razvi Bareilvi: Uphold peace, love without hurt
In the wake of the violence, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, President of All India Muslim Jamaat, issued a strong appeal for peace. He said the incident was regrettable and urged that such conflicts should not occur from any side.
He said: “The only way to love Paigambar-e-Islam is not to hurt anyone, neither through words nor through actions, and uphold peace.”
He appealed to all Muslims to maintain law and order, to avoid taking law into their own hands, and to refrain from conflict with police or administration. According to him, following the Prophet’s path, peace, nonviolence, mercy, is the highest form of love.
These remarks came after the protests and stone pelting that led to the police response.
Reactions from political and religious leaders
Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) defended the slogan, asking ‘what is the problem with love?’ He cited constitutional protection of religious expression under Article 25 and questioned selective bans on slogans. Omar Abdullah also weighed in, asking how writing ‘I Love Muhammad’ could be a crime.
Some UP ministers called the Bareilly violence a planned conspiracy to disturb communal harmony.
Meanwhile, counter campaigns have taken shape. In Varanasi, religious leaders have held protests with the slogan ‘I Love Mahadev’ as a symbolic reply to ‘I Love Muhammad’.
Local voices claim that the protests were peaceful initially and only turned violent after police intervention. One neighborhood resident said, “If police lathi-charge, then stones will be pelted.”
(With ANI inputs)