Bareilly Police Baton-Charge Crowd Amid ‘I Love Muhammad’ Controversy; Several Injured

National News: A major disturbance broke out in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, after Friday prayers over the “I Love Muhammad” campaign. Supporters of Maulana Tauqeer Raza had gathered to submit a memorandum when tensions escalated and some members of the crowd began throwing stones at the police. In response, the police used batons to control the situation, chasing and hitting protesters, which triggered a stampede.

Police Take Action to Disperse Crowd

The police resorted to a baton charge to scatter the crowd and drove them away from the scene. According to information received, the police carried out a baton charge on people protesting near Ala Hazrat Mosque. This led to panic at the site. Reports suggest several people were injured in the police action. Following the incident, tension spread across the area. Police forces have been continuously patrolling, and officials have urged people to stay indoors.

Additional Forces Deployed

Considering the possibility of the situation worsening, additional forces were called in from nearby districts. Bareilly has effectively been turned into a cantonment, with around 5,000 police personnel deployed. Surveillance is also being conducted via drones. In view of Friday prayers, the UP Police were already on alert. Heavy police deployment has been made outside mosques, and vehicle checks are ongoing.