Shamli: A Muslim man has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district after he was seen in a viral video with “I love Muhammad” written on his chest while waving the national flag. The man, identified as Dilshad from Kudana village, was taken into custody following a complaint filed by a local resident, according to police officials.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Amardeep Maurya said the complaint alleged that Dilshad insulted Hinduism and abused the complainant. Police are questioning him and investigating the motives behind the act. The arrest has drawn attention as it comes amid rising tensions across Uttar Pradesh linked to displays of “I love Muhammad” messages in public.
The controversy began on September 4 in Kanpur during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession, when a banner with the same phrase was carried. Hindu groups objected, calling it a “new tradition” and police registered cases against 24 people for disturbing communal harmony. The action sparked protests in several districts of Uttar Pradesh and beyond, with groups carrying “I love Muhammad” posters in defiance. Some of these events led to clashes with the police.
In Bareilly, violence erupted after Friday prayers when police clashed with protesters carrying such posters. The Ittehad-e-Millat Council leader Tauqeer Raza Khan was arrested and sent to judicial custody. Authorities later sealed and bulldozed properties linked to his supporters. Police also shot a district president of the party in the leg during an attempted arrest.
The Shamli arrest has deepened concerns of escalating communal friction in the state as authorities continue to tighten their crackdown on the campaign.
