Bareilly police on Tuesday arrested Maulana Mohsin Raza, the son-in-law of cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s elder brother, and initiated demolition action on properties linked to him in connection with the violent protests on September 26 in the wake of the ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster controversy in Kanpur.
District officials targeted illegal structures linked to Mr. Mohsin Raza, including a garage allegedly built on encroached land.
“Sixteen more rioters who had planned to riot in Bareilly city on September 26 and attacked the police party with fire, bricks, stones and acid bottles were arrested by the police,” said Anurag Arya, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Bareilly.
Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have condemned Mr. Tauqeer Raza and sought his immediate release. “What began with a simple slogan – an expression of devotion and reverence – was equated with threats to public order,” said Jamaat-e-Islami president Syed Sadatullah Hussaini.
“Peaceful protest by Muslims over the Kanpur incident is not a crime, and the irresponsible and aggressive response of the police is a gross abuse of power and an act of extreme injustice,” said SQR Ilyas, the AIMPLB spokesman.
Published – October 01, 2025 01:07 am IST
