Congress MP from Saharanpur, Imran Masood, has alleged that he was placed under house arrest on Wednesday ahead of his planned visit to violence-hit Bareilly. Masood, who intended to meet the Bareilly DIG and assess the ground situation following last week’s communal clashes, claimed that authorities prevented him from traveling, citing “law and order concerns.” He criticized the move as politically motivated, accusing the ruling BJP of “hiding its failures behind communal hatred” and fearing the political fallout ahead of the 2027 elections. Masood also argued that his role was to bring peace, not to escalate tensions, and insisted that stopping him was unjustified.
The Saharanpur police, however, denied placing the MP under house arrest, clarifying that personnel were only deployed outside the residences of Masood and Samajwadi Party MLC Shahnawaz Khan after intelligence inputs about possible unrest. Superintendent of Police Vyom Bindal stated, “We have not put him under house arrest but have just deployed our forces.” The situation remains tense after violent protests erupted in Bareilly on September 26 when police stopped people carrying ‘I Love Muhammad’ placards. The protests quickly escalated, with allegations of stone pelting and gunfire, leading to mass arrests, including that of Ittehad-e-Millat Council president Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan.
Amid this turmoil, Masood also distanced himself from Tauqeer Raza, criticizing the use of mosque loudspeakers for political announcements, which he argued undermines the sanctity of religious spaces. Meanwhile, authorities in Bareilly have launched sealing and demolition drives against associates of Tauqeer, whom they accuse of masterminding the violence. Security has been tightened across the city, with flag marches, increased police presence at religious sites, and new restrictions on public gatherings. As political tensions rise, the administration is also closely monitoring social media activity to prevent further unrest.
