With a crackdown by Uttar Pradesh police after violence in Bareilly during protests related to the "I Love Muhammad" campaign, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said his government has sent a firm message that disruptions to law and order will not be tolerated.
"Whenever there were festivals, there was some upheaval, but now rioters will be taught a lesson in the language they understand so that their future generations will also remember (not to indulge in such actions).
"Sometimes people are not able to shun their bad habits easily. For that, denting-painting are required... You saw this in Bareilly yesterday. A Maulana forgot who is in power," Adityanath said, without taking any names.
The comments, made while speaking at a 'Viksit UP' event of a media house, appear to be directed at cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, the chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, who had initially called for a protest in support of the "I Love Muhammad" campaign and was arrested on Saturday for allegedly masterminding the violence.
"He thought he could halt the system by issuing threats whenever he wanted, but we made it clear that there would be neither a roadblock nor a curfew. However, you will be taught such a lesson that your future generations will never indulge in rioting," CM Adityanath said.
The chief minister questioned the intent behind the public gathering. "What kind of way is this to halt the system? This was the trend in UP before 2017, but after 2017, we have not allowed even a curfew." He said such "barriers" in the state's development were dealt with aptly. "The story of Uttar Pradesh's development begins here." He also defended bulldozer action against people booked in criminal cases. "There are people who incite sentiments based on caste, exploit people... we made the bulldozer for such people," the firebrand BJP leader said.
The chief minister's statement came as tension escalated in Bareilly after clashes between police and a large crowd of people carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers. The crowd was reportedly angry over the last-minute cancellation of a proposed demonstration by Khan, who claimed that authorities had denied permission.
The police carried out overnight house-to-house raids to nab the culprits and arrested eight people, including Khan, who were on Saturday sent to judicial custody for two weeks.
They said over 500 people are being identified through various videos and CCTV footage in Bareilly.
District Magistrate Avinash Singh said that Section 163 of the BNSS (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) was in effect, requiring written permission for any march or demonstration. Despite this, some individuals took to the streets, attempting to disrupt peace, leading to strict police action and the detention of over two dozen people.
DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni said the clashes hinted at a "pre-planned conspiracy". He vowed to identify all perpetrators using video evidence and ensure "exemplary punishment" to deter any future repeat of such episodes.
The Uttar Pradesh government's Information Department had issued a statement condemning the Bareilly violence as a "well-planned conspiracy" aimed at creating a negative atmosphere in Western UP to "undermine the Noida International Trade Show" and prevent foreign investment, thereby thwarting the state's development efforts.
The controversy erupted on September 9, when police in Kanpur filed an FIR against 24 persons for allegedly installing boards with ‘I Love Muhammad’ written on them during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession on September 4. Some Hindu groups had objected to the installation of boards, calling it "deviation from tradition" and a "deliberate provocation".
Muslim groups objected to the FIR and soon protests spread to several Uttar Pradesh districts and to states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
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