Bareilly: Heightened security, heavy police patrolling and flag marches to restore normalcy – these were scenes from Bareilly on Sunday, a day after 39 people, including local cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, were arrested following overnight house-to-house raids in connection with the recent violence during a protest supporting the ‘I love Muhammad’ campaign.
The cleric’s arrest on Saturday prompted administrations in neighbouring districts to go on high alert.
Raza’s arrest followed a day of tension in Bareilly, where a large crowd carrying ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters clashed with police outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers. The crowd was reportedly angry over the cancellation of a proposed demonstration called by Raza, the founder of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, who claimed