High alert and tight security on the roads of Bareilly have been imposed amidst tensions during Friday prayers in the local mosques of the city. Violence in the city occurred last week after demonstrations of ‘I love Muhammad’ posters were cancelled.
After 2,000 protesters clashed with authorities in front of local mosques, 81 have been arrested. Reports suggest that the internet in four districts of the region will be suspended till 3 pm on Saturday, 4th October. The suspension has been justified to keep rumours and incitement in check. Authorities explain that rumours through social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram can make the situation worse.
Additional security measures have also been deployed in the city. The police, Provisional Armed Constabulary, and the Rapid Action Force have been deployed on the streets, while continuous monitoring through drones is put in place. Divisional Commissioner Bhupendra S Chaudhary stated that the magistrates, police officials, and deputy commissioners have been asked to do their duties with utmost alertness, and any lapse will invite strict actions.
The neighbouring districts of Budaun, Pilibhit, and Shahjahanpur have also been kept on high alert. Last week, Cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan called for the ‘I love Muhammad’ campaign, which triggered violent unrest in the city. The campaign led to the participation of 2,000 people outside of a mosque, but the last-minute cancellation by Raza angered the crowd. What followed was stone-pelting and slogans raging into a massive protest that soon became uncontrollable.
Maulana Ahsan Razan Khan, the senior-most cleric of Ala Hazrat Dargah, asked the local muslims to be calm and return home peacefully before this week’s prayers. But the authorities have emphasised increasing security as the situation remains fragile.
