Yogi Adityanath Warns 'I Love Mohammad' Protesters After Bareilly Violence: 'Chedhoge To Fir Chodhenge Nahi'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued a stern warning to protesters a day after violence erupted over 'I Love Mohammad' row in Bareilly after Friday prayers.

"If you vandalise in the name of faith, attack pedestrians in the name of faith... attack the police, then we won't let you go...chedhoge to chodenge nahi aur chodenge nahi toh fir chootoge bhi nahi [If you trouble us, we won't spare you and then you won't be able to escape]," Yogi Adityanath said while speaking at a 'Viksit UP' event of a media house on Saturday (September 27).

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The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said,“There are some people who dislike peace and welfare. Whenever a Hindu festival or celebration approaches, they become overheated. To cool their heat, we have to resort to denting and painting... Faith is a matter of conscience, not a subject of protest...”

Yogi Adityanath's comments came as tension escalated in Bareilly after a large crowd carrying 'I Love Mohammad ' posters clashed with police outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers.

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The crowd was reportedly angry over the last-minute cancellation of a proposed demonstration by cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, the chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, who claimed that authorities had denied permission.

Raza Khan had initially called for a protest in support of the "I Love Mohammad" campaign and was arrested on Saturday for allegedly masterminding the violence. Raza has been accused of using inflammatory speeches to incite the violence on Friday.

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In an attack directed at cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan , Yogi Adityanath said, "Sometimes people are not able to shun their bad habits easily. For that, denting-painting are required..."

"You saw this in Bareilly yesterday. A Maulana forgot who is in power," Adityanath said, without taking any names.

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"He thought he could halt the system by issuing threats whenever he wanted, but we made it clear that there would be neither a roadblock nor a curfew. However, you will be taught such a lesson that your future generations will never indulge in rioting," CM Adityanath said.

The chief minister questioned the intent behind the public gathering. "What kind of way is this to halt the system? This was the trend in UP before 2017, but after 2017, we have not allowed even a curfew."

He said such "barriers" in the state's development were dealt with aptly.“The story of Uttar Pradesh's development begins here.”

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The controversy dates back to September 9, when police in Kanpur filed an FIR against 24 persons for allegedly installing boards with 'I Love Mohammad' written on them during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession on September 4.

Some Hindu groups objected to it, calling it "deviation from tradition" and a "deliberate provocation".

“Members of the Muslim community had installed these boards last week and erected a tent on a public road, close to a gate from where the Ram Navami procession usually passes,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Tripathi was quoted by PTI as saying earlier in September.

Also Read | 'I Love Mohammad' protest: UP cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan arrested over violence

The controversy soon spread to several Uttar Pradesh districts and to states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka, sparking protests and police crackdowns.

The row also drew the attention of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who asserted that saying "I Love Muhammad" was not a crime.

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