INDIA POLICE BOOK 8 MUSLIMS AFTER ‘I LOVE MUHAMMAD’ POSTERS FOUND AT DEMOLISHED MOSQUE

Tue 09 June 2026:

Police in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh, have filed a case against eight individuals, including the mutawalli (caretaker) of the Mustafa Qadri Mosque in Kaserua village, after recovering 49 posters reading “I Love Muhammad” and a green flag featuring a crescent and star during a demolition operation at the mosque on Saturday.

The FIR, registered at Nakhasa police station under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with the deliberate creation or circulation of false information, rumours or alarming content intended to promote hatred or enmity between different communities, names mosque mutawalli Zakir and seven members of the mosque committee.

Police alleged that the recovered materials were capable of promoting communal disharmony and creating enmity between communities, and claimed that the sentiments of the Hindu community had been hurt. However, it remains unclear whether any member of the Hindu community had lodged a complaint regarding hurt sentiments, contrary to the claims made by the police.

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According to the FIR filed by police officer Arun Kumar, a police team was deployed in Kaserua village on June 6 to maintain law and order during the demolition of the Mustafa Qadri Mosque, which the administration described as an illegally constructed structure on graveyard land.

The FIR states that before the demolition, police personnel entered the mosque to verify whether any valuables remained inside.

During the inspection, officers allegedly found 49 A4-sized posters bearing the slogan “I Love Muhammad” hidden beneath a mattress on a wooden platform inside the mosque.

Police also claimed to have recovered a green flag bearing a crescent moon and star, which they described as resembling the Pakistani flag. It remains unclear what specific features led police to describe the flag as being similar to the Pakistani flag, as stated in the FIR.

According to the FIR, the seized materials were taken into custody, with one poster retained separately for investigation while the remaining posters and the flag were sealed as evidence.

Police alleged that the materials had been kept inside the mosque by the mutawalli and committee members and claimed that their presence had generated anger among Hindus and was intended to spread communal hostility.

The case comes amid an ongoing dispute over the mosque and the land on which it stood.

The mosque committee had argued that the structure pre-dated Independence, had been recorded in government records for decades, and was registered with the Waqf Board.

However, the appellate authority held that no documentary evidence had been produced to substantiate those claims and upheld the eviction order.

The mosque committee and local residents have claimed that their side was not adequately heard before action was taken.

The allegations contained in the FIR have not been tested in court, and no judicial determination has been made regarding the claims advanced by the police.

Why is India prosecuting Muslims who said ‘I love Muhammad’?

The phrase “I love Muhammad” became a focal point of intense political and communal tension in India between Muslim communities, Hindu right-wing groups, and state authorities.

The friction began during the Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, marking the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad.

Local Hindu right-wing groups objected to the “I love Muhammad” banners. They alleged that the signs were placed at locations traditionally used for Hindu festivals, such as Ram Navami, and viewed the new banners as an unapproved “new tradition” or a deliberate provocation. Muslim residents maintained they had official permission and were using public spaces as they did every year. Police forces, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, filed First Information Reports (FIRs) against thousands of Muslims. Authorities accused organizers of “disturbing communal harmony” and attempting to disrupt public order.

Political leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, issued stern warnings against what they termed anti-national activities and anarchy. The state response included police crackdowns, arrests, and the demolition of properties belonging to accused individuals.

Advocacy groups like the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) and international organizations like Amnesty International India criticized the state’s actions. They argued that criminalizing a peaceful expression of faith violates the constitutional right to religious freedom under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.

Rasheed Kidwai, a political analyst, said that the row over “I Love Muhammad” is “overtly very political, and not religious”.

And in India, there is growing frustration among Muslims, especially youth, where they see that one set of rules is not applied for all, when it comes to matters of cultural identity and eating habits, said Kidwai.

Several of the accused, or arrested, as part of the “I Love Muhammad” crackdown, include young adult Muslims, according to data from APCR, including those who were arrested for social media posts.

The crackdown on “I Love Muhammad” expression risks alienating young Muslim adults even more, said Ali. “In theory, everyone is already guilty and can face action for just being,” he told Al Jazeera.

“It is getting difficult to imagine what the future may hold now,” he said. “The tempo of hate is increasing day by day.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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