Saharanpur: Police in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, arrested Congress-linked leader Mustafa Siddiqui after he posted content on social media appealing to the city’s youth to gather at a mosque located inside the Collectorate premises, which had recently been demolished. Officers from Mandi police station detained him from his residence at around 9 AM. He was produced before a court, which sent him to judicial custody.
Police stated that Siddiqui’s post was deemed objectionable and capable of disturbing public order. Authorities identified him through active social media monitoring and moved quickly to detain him.
The arrest comes amid heightened tensions in Saharanpur following the demolition of the mosque within the Collectorate compound, an action that drew considerable concern from local residents and the broader Muslim community. Siddiqui’s post, according to police, called on the youth of Saharanpur specifically to converge on the site.
SP City Vyom Bindal confirmed that police are keeping continuous watch on social media platforms given the current situation. He said authorities assess objectionable content based on its severity. Posts considered mildly objectionable are taken down, while content deemed to be inflammatory attracts formal legal action under the relevant sections of law.
Bindal also urged citizens not to share or forward inflammatory or objectionable posts on social media, warning that such content spreads rapidly and carries a real risk of disturbing law and order. Police appealed to residents to maintain peace and cooperate with authorities.
The demolition of the mosque inside the Collectorate campus had already stirred unease in the area before Siddiqui’s post amplified the situation further. The episode underlines the growing concern around how social media content, particularly in areas with communal sensitivities, draws swift state response. Civil society members in Saharanpur say the demolition itself remains an unaddressed grievance for many in the Muslim community.
