Insaaf Times Desk

Tension erupted in Kanpur’s Syed Nagar locality on the occasion of 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal after youths put up boards reading “I LOVE MOHAMMAD” and erected a tent, sparking a major controversy. Police termed it a threat to law and order, removed the boards and tent, and registered a case against nine named individuals and 15 unidentified persons.

On September 4, during a 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal program, some youths set up the boards and tent along the roadside near the gate from where the annual Ram Navami procession passes. Hindu organizations protested, calling it a “new tradition” and a “deliberate provocation.”

DCP (West) Dinesh Tripathi said, “No new tradition can be allowed on a public route. This step posed a threat to peace and order, which is why the boards and tent were removed. No guilty person will be spared.” Police initially tried to resolve the matter by involving local clerics, but when talks failed, they proceeded with direct action.

The FIR was lodged on September 9 at Rawatpur police station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Pankaj Sharma. Those named in the FIR include Sharafat Hussain, Babu Ali, Mohammad Siraj, Rahman, Ikram Ahmed, Iqbal, Bunty, Kunnu ‘Kabadi,’ and Sahnur Alam. Charges have been filed under BNS Section 196 (promoting enmity on religious grounds), Section 299 (hurting religious sentiments), and unlawful assembly provisions.

Police reviewed CCTV footage from the area and identified several accused. SHO K.K. Mishra stated that it was a “planned attempt to disturb peace.” Some accused are absconding, and efforts are underway to trace them.

Local Muslim organizations condemned the police action, calling it one-sided. They argued that peacefully displaying religious message boards should not be treated as a crime, while police and administration continue to describe it as a law and order issue.