New Delhi: The All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM) has urged the community, especially youth, to uphold peace following violent clashes in Bareilly over the ongoing ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign. The organisation condemned the police lathi-charge on September 26 and called on authorities to deal with the issue in a fair and balanced manner.
In its statement, the AIPMM stressed that the controversy has been amplified for political purposes. It highlighted that in Kanpur, after a meeting with district officials, the city Qazi, imams, and intellectuals, the administration confirmed that FIRs were related to the tearing of banners of other religions and had no connection to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ slogans.
The Mahaz said its Kanpur unit has been spreading awareness about this clarification. Despite this, it accused certain clerics, politicians, and intellectuals of deliberately fuelling tensions.
Referring to Bareilly, the AIPMM noted that provocative speeches after Friday prayers escalated unrest, leading to police action that left several youths injured. The statement also raised questions over the lack of government response to continuous inflammatory remarks by cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan.
The organisation appealed to Pasmanda Muslims to avoid confrontations and to work for peace. “We appeal to our youth and all members of the community to refrain from actions that disturb harmony. We request the administration to ensure justice so that normalcy returns quickly,” it said.
Meanwhile, tensions spread to districts including Barabanki, Mau, and Muzaffarnagar, prompting heavy police deployment and monitoring of social media. In Barabanki’s Faizullaganj, clashes erupted after a banner reading ‘I Love Muhammad’ was brought down by a watchman, sparking protests and vandalism. Police have arrested eight people and launched an investigation based on CCTV footage of the incident.
