Bareilly has been placed under a high-security alert following last week’s violent clashes over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster row. The situation remains tense with internet services suspended across Bareilly and three adjoining districts until Saturday afternoon to curb the spread of rumors and provocative content online. Authorities said the suspension covers mobile data, broadband, and even SMS services, aiming to prevent any escalation of communal tensions during both Friday prayers and the ongoing Dussehra celebrations.
To ensure law and order, heavy deployment of police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been made in Bareilly, with additional security arrangements in Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, and Budaun. Drones have also been pressed into service for aerial surveillance of sensitive areas, while Bareilly has been divided into multiple zones to manage the security situation more effectively. Officials have strictly warned that any negligence in duty by police or administration will result in stern action. Religious leaders have been requested to urge people to return home peacefully after prayers, in a bid to avoid a repeat of last week’s violence.
The unrest was triggered when cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan initially called for a demonstration in support of the campaign but later canceled it due to lack of official permission. The abrupt cancellation angered the assembled crowd of nearly 2,000 people outside a mosque, sparking stone-pelting and clashes with the police that led to over 80 arrests. As Friday prayers approach, senior clerics, including Maulana Ahsan Razan Khan of the Ala Hazrat Dargah, have appealed for calm, urging worshippers not to gather for protests and to maintain peace in the city.
