A prominent maulana was arrested in Bareilly on Saturday, a day after a march called by him led to clashes between police and a Muslim mob.

Maulana Tauqeer Raza, leader of the sociopolitical organisation Ittehad-e-Millat Council, has been known to be close to those in power, irrespective of political colour, down the years.

Muslims had at his behest marched in Bareilly city after Friday prayers carrying placards that said “I love Muhammad”. When the police tried to stop them, clashes broke out.

Raza, who was under house arrest during the clashes, has been arrested with seven others who are accused of attacking public property and the police.

The maulana had “provoked (the mob) to violence through his phone and social media”, deputy inspector-general of police Ajay Sahni said.

He did not elaborate but officers said the maulana was constantly on the phone during the march.

“The mob injured 20 policemen. We have arrested eight people and detained 39. It was a well-planned violence; the rioters damaged a few vehicles, too,” Sahni said.

“The mob carried firearms and other deadly weapons. It pelted the police with stones and fired. The police fired tear-gas shells.”

Raza claimed a police baton charge had left 20 people injured.

He said he had called the march in response to the state government’s (police) efforts to intimidate some people in Kanpur, who were carrying placards saying “I love Muhammad”, last week.

“I demand from the Uttar Pradesh government that they kill me the way they killed Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Allahabad in 2023,” he said just before his arrest.

Atiq and Ashraf, who were gangsters and Samajwadi Party members, were killed by three people on a hospital compound while in police custody. There are allegations that the killers were hitmen hired by the police.

About an hour before Raza’s arrest, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said: “The maulana forgot whose government runs Uttar Pradesh and tried to break the law. We don’t impose curfew if there’s a riot; we teach the rioters a lesson immediately.”

A political observer said there seemed to be more to Raza’s arrest than was
apparent.

“The maulana was very close to Samajwadi president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati when they were chief ministers. He is now close to many BJP leaders,” he said.

“While the march was on, the maulana was resting at his home under police protection. He has been arrested now but there may have been backstage developments we don’t know about yet.”

On Friday, some Hindus in Varanasi marched with “I love Mahadev” placards in reaction to the events in Bareilly.