New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation that challenged multiple FIRs filed against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand over “I Love Muhammad” posters displayed during Milad un Nabi. The petitioner, Shujaat Ali, argued that the FIRs targeted peaceful religious expression and reflected anti Muslim bias. The court ruled that the plea did not qualify as a matter of public interest and fell outside its territorial jurisdiction.
A division bench of Chief Justice D. K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela held that the petitioner had no sufficient cause to invoke public interest jurisdiction. The judges said individuals named in the FIRs were free to seek legal remedies in the states where the cases were filed. The court added that it could not intervene in matters under the authority of other states’ police and judicial systems.
The plea had challenged police action in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand after Muslims displayed “I Love Muhammad” posters during Milad un Nabi processions. The controversy began on 4 September 2025 in Kanpur when a simple signboard in Zafar Wali Gali displayed the phrase as part of Barawafat observance. Hindutva groups vandalised the signboard and shouted anti Muslim slogans. The Kanpur police later booked 25 Muslims on charges related to public order. No immediate action followed against the vandals.
According to the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, at least twenty one FIRs were registered across the two states. The group reported that more than 4,500 Muslims were booked by October, including 265 arrests. The fact finding report documented house raids at night, detentions of minors without informing families, restrictions on access to FIR copies, and demolitions of homes where the posters had been displayed.
Lawyers such as Mohammad Imran Khan said the police action targeted peaceful religious devotion and weakened constitutional guarantees. Despite these concerns, the court held that the plea did not fall within its jurisdiction and did not meet the threshold of public interest.
