On 26 September 2025, after Friday prayers in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, crowds carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters clashed with police. Cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan had called a demonstration, then cancelled it when permission was refused. Police filed 10 FIRs, arrested about 90 people including Khan, and demolished or sealed properties linked to the accused. In June 2026 the Allahabad High Court refused Khan bail, calling him the "main conspirator".
Key takeaways
- On 26 September 2025, after Friday prayers in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, crowds carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters clashed with police after cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan's planned demonstration was refused permission and then called off.
- Bareilly police say demonstrators threw stones, acid bottles and petrol bombs and fired shots, injuring 10 police personnel, and DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni called the violence "a pre-planned conspiracy".
- A fact-finding team from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) said the Bareilly crowd was largely peaceful and that police lathi-charged without warning, calling the FIRs a "heavily skewed version" of events.
- Bareilly police registered 10 FIRs naming 180 people and about 2,500 unnamed people, and had arrested about 90 people by 12 October 2025, including Tauqeer Raza Khan, who was arrested on 27 September.
- After the Bareilly clashes, authorities razed the Raza Palace banquet hall on 4 and 5 October 2025, saying it was illegally built on Waqf land, and sealed 32 shops in Mazaar Pehalwaan Market, which APCR says was done without notice.
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said after the Bareilly clashes that "a Maulana forgot who is in power" and that "the bulldozer was made for such people".
- On 5 June 2026 the Allahabad High Court rejected Tauqeer Raza Khan's bail plea, saying an eyewitness statement and a video showed he was "the main conspirator" behind the Bareilly violence.
Background: the Kanpur banner
On 4 September 2025 a group put up an "I Love Muhammad" board along the route of a Barawafat (Prophet's birthday) procession in Kanpur. Hindu groups objected that it was a "new tradition". On 9 September Kanpur police booked 24 people. Police said the case was about where the banner was placed, not its words Scroll.
The row spread. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the slogan was not a crime, and protests and cases followed across Uttar Pradesh and in Uttarakhand and Karnataka PTI via The Week. By mid-October, at least 22 cases had been registered against more than 2,500 Muslims across several BJP-governed states, according to the civil rights group APCR Al Jazeera.
How it started in Bareilly
Tauqeer Raza Khan heads the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), based in Bareilly. On 21 September the IMC announced a protest for 26 September. The administration refused permission Wikipedia.
On 25 September Khan said the demonstration would go ahead "at any cost" PTI via The Week. The plan was to gather at Islamia Ground after Friday prayers and submit a memorandum APCR.
Timeline of 26 September
March called off
Khan made a last-minute announcement cancelling the demonstration, reportedly because permission had not been granted PTI. A WhatsApp message claiming the cancellation statement was "fake" then spread and caused confusion APCR.
Crowds gather
Crowds carrying posters gathered outside Khan's house, near Ala Hazrat Dargah and at a small mosque beside Islamia Ground in the Kotwali area. They tried to move towards Islamia Inter College ground and were stopped at Khalil Tiraha PTI.
Clashes
Claim · Police Demonstrators raised slogans, threw stones and damaged vehicles and shops. DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni said police used "mild force" only in response PTI. Police used lathis and tear gas, and stone-pelting was also reported near Azamnagar and Kumar Talkies.
Firing and petrol bombs alleged
Claim · FIR About 200 to 250 people marched towards Shyamganj despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS. They threw brickbats, stones and acid bottles, and shots were fired from the crowd. Police uniforms were torn and two officers were injured Tribune. Police also say petrol bombs were thrown at a team in Shahmat Ganj and spent 12-bore cartridges were recovered Tribune.
Markets shut
Markets closed in Alamgiriganj, Bansmandi, Civil Lines, Bada Bazaar, Qutubkhana and Bihari Pur. DM Avinash Singh said "the situation is under control now" PTI.
Khan arrested
Eight people, including Khan, were arrested and sent to 14 days' judicial custody. 39 were detained, internet was suspended and a 10-day SIT was set up Statesman.
Both accounts
Residents' and civil rights account
A fact-finding team from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) spoke to locals and a lawyer. They described the crowd as peaceful, with no vandalism or slogans on the way. They said police lathi-charged without warning or an order to disperse. The report says police injuries were minor and no firearms were recovered. It calls the FIRs a "heavily skewed version" of a largely peaceful gathering APCR Scroll.
Police and government account
Police say 90 to 95% of the crowd dispersed peacefully, but a faction began stone-pelting and firing, injuring 10 personnel APCR, citing police. DIG Sahni called it "a pre-planned conspiracy" and said WhatsApp groups were used to mobilise people PTI. The DM and SSP named Khan the "main conspirator" Statesman.
Government's position Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said "a Maulana forgot who is in power" and that "the bulldozer was made for such people" IANS. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said government "functions with harmony and goodwill, not lathicharge" Wikipedia.
Arrests, encounter and demolitions
By 30 September police had registered 10 FIRs naming 180 people and about 2,500 unnamed people, and arrested 73 PTI via The Week. Police said the name of Nadeem Khan, an aide of the cleric, "surfaced prominently", and arrested IMC office-bearer Shamshad for allegedly sending WhatsApp messages to incite people.
One accused, Tazim, was shot in the leg in what police called an exchange of fire. Police say he had fired at officers near Shyamganj bridge on 26 September Scroll. By 12 October about 90 people had been arrested, including Arif, whom police accuse of throwing the petrol bombs Tribune.
The administration also took action against property PTI APCR:
- Eight properties were identified as allegedly built without approved maps, some on government land.
- Hotels and lawns linked to Arif were sealed.
- The Raza Palace banquet hall was razed on 4 and 5 October. Authorities said it was illegally built on Waqf land.
- 32 shops in Mazaar Pehalwaan Market were sealed on 29 September. APCR says this was done without notice and despite a tribunal stay.
Lawyers told APCR that families were not told the grounds for arrest, arrest memos were not given, and minors were picked up. These are the group's allegations; police have not responded to them in the sources reviewed APCR.
What the courts said
In November 2025 the Allahabad High Court refused to quash an FIR against one accused PTI via The Week.
On 5 June 2026 Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal rejected Khan's bail plea. The court said an eyewitness statement and a video clip showed Khan was "the main person who persuaded these people through provocative speech", making him liable as "the main conspirator". Citing his "extensive criminal history in similar cases", it said he could incite a community again if released Tribune.
The main person who persuaded these people through provocative speech.
Allahabad High Court, bail order on Tauqeer Raza Khan, 5 June 2026 (PTI via Tribune)
Fact-checks
- False A photo of a bleeding man shared as a victim of Bareilly police action was from Uttarkashi in 2023 Factly.
- False A video of an imam describing an assault by police was from Bihar, not Uttar Pradesh Factly.
- No evidence No foreign involvement was alleged or found. The conspiracy claims concerned local actors.
Outcome
- Deaths: None reported.
- Injuries: 10 police personnel, per police. APCR says police injuries were minor.
- Cases: 10 FIRs naming 180 people plus about 2,500 unnamed.
- Arrests: 73 by 30 Sept and about 90 by 12 Oct 2025, including Khan.
- Encounter: One accused shot in the leg.
- Property: A banquet hall razed, other buildings sealed or marked, 32 shops sealed.
- Internet: Suspended for about 48 hours.
- Court: Bail denied to Khan on 5 June 2026.
What is still pending
The trial has not been reported as concluded, and Khan's bail was still refused as of the June 2026 order. APCR's complaints about the shop sealings and arrests have not been answered in court in the reporting reviewed here. No independent inquiry into the police response was reported.
Questions people ask
What happened in Bareilly on 26 September 2025?
After Friday prayers, crowds carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters gathered despite a cancelled march and were stopped by police. Police say stones, acid bottles and gunshots came from the crowd; residents say police charged a peaceful gathering without warning.
Who is Tauqeer Raza Khan?
He is a Bareilly cleric who heads the Ittehad-e-Millat Council. He called the 26 September protest, then cancelled it. Police named him the main conspirator and arrested him on 27 September 2025.
Why was "I Love Muhammad" a controversy?
It began with a board at a Barawafat procession in Kanpur on 4 September 2025. Hindu groups objected that it was a new practice, and police booked 24 people. Police said the issue was the banner's placement, not its words.
How many people were arrested in Bareilly?
About 90 by 12 October 2025, according to police. The 10 FIRs named 180 people and about 2,500 unnamed people.
Did Tauqeer Raza get bail?
No. On 5 June 2026 the Allahabad High Court rejected his bail plea, citing an eyewitness and a video of a speech, and his criminal history.
Were properties bulldozed after the Bareilly violence?
Yes. The Raza Palace banquet hall was razed in October 2025 on grounds that it was built illegally, and several other properties and 32 shops were sealed.
Sources
- Scroll: I Love Muhammad row, cases and Bareilly clashes, Sept 2025
- PTI via The Week: Poster row, clash in Bareilly, 26 Sept 2025
- Al Jazeera: Why is India prosecuting Muslims who said "I love Muhammad"?, 14 Oct 2025
- Wikipedia: 2025 I Love Muhammad protests (citing The Hindu), accessed 9 Oct 2026
- APCR: Bareilly fact-finding report, Oct 2025
- Scroll: Over 4,500 Muslims booked, 265 arrested, says civil rights group, Oct 2025
- Tribune/PTI: Allahabad High Court rejects bail plea of Tauqeer Raza Khan, 7 June 2026
- Tribune: Main accused in petrol bomb attack on police arrested, 12 Oct 2025
- Statesman: Bareilly violence: internet shutdown, 39 held, SIT given 10 days, Sept 2025
- IANS: CM Yogi Adityanath warns rioters, defends bulldozer action, 27 Sept 2025
- PTI via The Week: 8 properties linked to Bareilly cleric identified for demolition, 73 arrested, 30 Sept 2025
- Scroll: Cleric's aide shot in leg during alleged gunfight, Sept 2025
- PTI via The Week: HC refuses to quash FIR in Bareilly violence case, 20 Nov 2025
- Factly: Old Uttarkashi photo falsely shared as Bareilly victim, 2025
- Factly: Imam's assault video is from Bihar, 2025