Religious Tensions Escalate Across India Over 'I Love Muhammad' Poster Controversy

Chaos erupted as police launched a lathicharge to counter reported stone pelting by protestors after Friday prayers in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, the latest stand-off in a row that began weeks ago over an 'I Love Muhammad' poster.

A huge crowd gathered near Bareilly's Islamia ground after Friday prayers in response to a call by Maulana Tauqeer Raza, local cleric and chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, to hold a demonstration in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign. Similar demonstrations have been held across the country after an FIR was lodged in Kanpur against 9 named and 15 unnamed persons after a tent with an 'I Love Muhammad' poster was removed by the police on September 4.

Following Friday prayers, the crowd assembled amid heavy police presence and continued to grow as some allegedly raised controversial slogans. After some protesters reportedly threw stones at the police, officers responded with lathicharge to control the situation. Once the crowd dispersed, footwear and stones were scattered within a 200-metre radius of the protest site. Authorities have arrested at least 12 people in connection with the clashes.

Senior officials are monitoring the situation and have instructed Bareilly authorities to take firm action against those disturbing peace. Bareilly Inspector General Ajay Sahni reported that 10 policemen were injured during the confrontation. "The police were conducting a flag march and instructed people to offer namaz and return home. Subsequently, some individuals in the crowd pelted stones and opened fire. Various weapons have been recovered. The attack appears to be a pre-planned conspiracy," he stated.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticized the police action, saying, "Governments function with harmony and goodwill, not lathicharge. Highly condemnable!"

Approximately 600 kilometers away in Mau, a similar scenario unfolded as hundreds gathered after Friday prayers and proceeded with a procession while chanting slogans. When asked to disperse, some allegedly threw stones, prompting police to resort to lathicharge.

In Baghpat, another procession was underway but was halted due to lack of permission. This led to a confrontation, resulting in police filing cases against two named individuals and 150 unidentified persons.

The controversy originated on September 4 during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur, when an 'I Love Muhammad' poster was displayed on a tent along the route. Local Hindu groups objected to the display, arguing it was deliberately placed in a mixed neighborhood where Hindu festivals like Ram Navami are traditionally celebrated.

Tensions escalated as both communities accused each other of provocation—Hindus alleging damage to their posters, and Muslims claiming they were targeted simply for expressing devotion to the Prophet. The issue gained momentum on social media, with the hashtag #ILoveMuhammad trending widely.

Kanpur police registered cases against 24 people on September 9, citing the relocation of the traditional tent to a new location. Authorities maintained that the FIR concerned the practice of erecting a tent on public roads and not the poster's content.

Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi commented on the controversy, stating, "If someone says, 'I Love You', then what's the problem? What's the problem with writing 'love'? What message do you want to send to Muslim countries around the world with this? What's the problem with 'I Love Mahadev'? It should be done, it's their faith. This is a way of socially boycotting Muslims."

In Mumbai's Malvani, religious leaders visited the local police station earlier this week to express concern over the Kanpur incident. They accused authorities of discrimination against Muslims by removing posters and filing FIRs, while allowing Hindu groups to organize counter-campaigns.

On Thursday, members of a minority community damaged several shops and vehicles and threw stones at a village in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district following an objectionable social media post. Police detained approximately 60 persons for the clash and rioting that occurred late Wednesday night. Four shops and five to six vehicles sustained damage in the attack.

Posters with messages 'I love Mohammed' appeared in Karnataka's Davangere on Tuesday night, leading to stone pelting between two groups, according to police sources who spoke to PTI.

Unrest was also reported in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, Maharajganj, Lucknow, and Kaushambi, resulting in multiple cases being filed.

A counter-campaign emerged in Varanasi after weeks of controversy, with religious leaders taking to the streets carrying "I Love Mahadev" placards, which they described as a response to allegedly "provocative" attempts to disturb communal harmony.

The demonstration, led by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Narendrananda, accused those behind the "I Love Muhammad" movement of trying to "destroy the country under the guise of devotion." He and other leaders alleged that conspiracies were being orchestrated to destabilize governments and divide society.