Clash erupts in UP's Bareilly as police baton charge protesters carrying 'I love Muhammad' posters after Friday prayers

Uttar Pradesh Police clashed with protesters carrying “I Love Muhammad” banners in Bareilly on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh Police clashed with protesters carrying “I Love Muhammad” banners in Bareilly, who shouted slogans like “Allahu Akbar” and created a ruckus after the Friday prayers, News18 reported.

As the situation escalated, police resorted to lathi-charge protesters to restore order. This is the latest in a wave of demonstrations in cities like Lucknow, Bareilly, Kaushambi, Unnao, Kashipur, and Hyderabad since the ‘I Love Muhammad’ row began earlier this year.

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: After Friday prayers, people protested carrying “I Love Muhammad” banners, chanting slogans such as “Allahu Akbar.” When police tried to calm the protesters and the situation got out of control, they resorted to a baton charge to restore order pic.twitter.com/QEO85o5j5P

— IANS (@ians_india) September 26, 2025

In response, Bareilly authorities conducted a flag march as a clear message that any attempt to disturb peace would not be tolerated. District Magistrate Avinash Singh declared Section 163 of the BNS in the area, prohibiting any form of protest without permission.

Large-scale deployment of police and paramilitary personnel was also put in place in Bareilly, with SP City Manush Pareek, SP South Anshika Verma, SP North Mukesh Chandra Mishra, SP crime, SP traffic, City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, ADM, SDM, COs, women SOG members and around 50 inspectors taking part in the march.

Amid 'I Love Muhammad' row, 'I Love Mahadev' posters appear in Varanasi

Posters bearing the slogan "I love Mahadev (Lord Shiva)" appeared at various locations—including temples and mutts—in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday. According to Hindu seers, the posters were intended as a response to the "I love Mohammed" posters that had recently surfaced in several towns across the state.

According to reports, the ‘I love Mahadev’ posters were pasted on the walls at many places in Varanasi by Sanatan Sena, a saffron outfit, activists led by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Narendrananda.

The controversy started earlier this month in Kanpur when, during a procession marking the occasion of Barawafat, some individuals set up a tent and displayed a poster with the slogan "I love Mohammed."

The police took down the tent and poster, sparking protests from members of the Muslim community. In connection with the incident, an FIR was registered against 24 individuals. The controversy quickly spread to other towns within the State and even to a few other States, where similar posters had appeared in public spaces, prompting further police action.