Asaduddin Owaisi, the head of AIMIM, has spoken out against the current problems in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, which got worse after a violent protest last week over “I Love Muhammad” posters. The politician said on Thursday that in India, it’s okay to say “I love Modi” but not “I love Muhammad.”
Four districts in the Bareilly division have had their internet services cut off, and a huge security presence, including PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) and RAF (Rapid Action Force) officers, has been sent to the streets. Authorities are also using drones to keep an eye on things as they deal with the tight situation before the Dussehra celebrations and Friday prayers.
Owaisi defends the Muslim faith and questions double standards.
Owaisi talked about the matter directly in a speech in Hyderabad, asking why people were upset over the religious expression and telling people not to use violence.
“In this country, you may say “I love Modi” but not “I adore Mohammad.” Where are you taking this country? The media is likewise pleased when someone says “I love Modi.” People don’t like it when someone says “I love Mohammad.” Owaisi said, “I am a Muslim because of Muhammad.”
He stressed how important the Prophet is to Muslims’ faith by saying that a Muslim’s faith is “not complete until he loves Prophet Muhammad more than everything else in the world.” He questioned what kind of message the world was getting by objecting to such a basic way of showing love.
The AIMIM leader also brought up earlier comments on the poster issue, when he asked what was “anti-national” about putting up the boards. He made a comparison and asked, “If there is a ‘I Love Mahadev’ group, then what is the problem? What is wrong with this? What kind of violence does this encourage? Why is anyone having a problem if the word is “love”?
Claims of police accountability and violence in Bareilly
The current tensions are the result of violence that broke out last week when more than 2,000 protesters gathered outside a mosque in Bareilly after Friday prayers. Authorities put off a planned protest over the poster issue, which led to the protest. The protest was in response to a First Information Report (FIR) filed in Kanpur on September 9 about the purported putting up of “I Love Muhammad” signs on a public road during a Barawafat procession.
The scene got violent, with people throwing stones and hurting police officers, which led to a police lathi-charge (baton charge). At least 81 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence.
Owaisi said in his speech that cops beat individuals with sticks and that some businesses threw flowers at them. He said that the police were only responsible to those in authority and not to anybody else.
“No one was called Mohammad save for the Prophet Mohammad. You have to respect his posters if you put them up… I want to know why the government is making so many laws and what’s going on. Owaisi asked the government.
In the meantime, the highest-ranking priest at the famous Ala Hazrat Dargah in Bareilly has asked Muslims to go home quietly after their Friday prayers to help calm things down.