'This Road Is Not for Muslims': UP Police conduct multiple arrests over communal slogans

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested three individuals, including two women, on charges of attempting to disrupt communal harmony by writing slogans on the roadside in the Biharigarh area, situated along the Delhi-Dehradun Highway in Saharanpur district. A police official confirmed this information on Friday. Notably, the women had written on the highway: "This road is not for Muslims." The incident sparked an uproar after a video of it went viral.

How did the authorities?

The official stated that all three accused individuals were arrested on Thursday evening. An attempt was made to vitiate the communal atmosphere by inscribing offensive slogans against a specific community on the road in the Biharigarh area, along the Delhi-Dehradun Highway. The investigation into the matter revealed that the individuals involved were associated with the Hindu Raksha Dal. Acting to prevent a potential breach of peace and to avert the risk of riots, the police arrested the three individuals—including two young women—on Thursday evening. They have been charged with conspiring to incite riots.

Who had filed the complaint?

The police stated that, in connection with this incident, an employee of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) filed a written complaint at the Biharigarh police station, following which the police registered a case. Meanwhile, Akshay Sharma, the Station In-charge of Biharigarh police station, confirmed on Friday that all three accused have been arrested and a case has been registered against them. The accused have been identified as Sulekha, Sharda, and Jitendra Raghav, all residents of Dehradun. All three are between the ages of 25 and 30.

When did the video go viral?

A video from the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway went viral on social media on February 26. In the video, two women were seen attempting to disrupt the atmosphere by writing offensive remarks targeting the Muslim community on the protective shield of the elevated flyover along the Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield National Highway. Using spray paint, they wrote: "This highway is not for Muslims." Upon receiving this information, the local police arrived at the scene and painted over the remarks with black paint. Subsequently, based on the written complaint filed by the NHAI employee, a case was registered against unidentified individuals.

What was the reaction?

After the video of this incident went viral, people expressed their outrage and condemned the act as a manifestation of a twisted mentality. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate wrote on X: "'This road is not for Muslims'—this is what ignorant women belonging to the Hindu Raksha Dal wrote on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway (NH-72A). These hateful women are a disgrace to the name of women and Hindus."