‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ Tensions Rise in Bareilly Following Call for Protest by Islamic Cleric

Tensions sparked in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly on Friday after followers of an Islamic cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan gathered on the streets following the incident in Haldwani the previous night. Sporadic incidents of stone pelting were reported during the day following which, police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in large numbers.

The cleric was released after being detained by the Uttar Pradesh police earlier today.

According to a Hindustan Times report, On Thursday, Raza had given a call for ‘Jail Bharo’ asking his supporters to offer their arrest to the police over the Gyanvapi mosque row.

Meanwhile, the demolition of the madrasa in Haldwani sparked another row and hundreds of people gathered on the streets after the Friday prayers around 2.30 pm. Markets in different parts of the city remained shut since the morning.

Around 1,000 police personnel were on the ground to maintain the law and order situation and have been deployed at important intersections, mixed populated areas, and entry and exit points of the city.

Uttar Pradesh director general of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar noted that an alert was issued in the state after the Haldwani incident. He further said that all district police chiefs had been asked to remain cautious and that deployments were in place in the districts bordering Uttarakhand.

Raza Khan on Thursday said he would give himself up for arrest in protest of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement in the Assembly that Muslims should wilfully give up their claim on Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura.