by Scroll Staff
The police in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli have arrested a Muslim man who wrote “I love Muhammad” on his chest and was seen waving the national flag, NDTV India reported on Wednesday.
Dilshad, a resident of the Kudana village in the district, was arrested after videos of him were circulated widely on social media platform Instagram.
A complaint in the matter was filed by a man named Nishikant, UP Tak quoted Shamli Deputy Superintendent of Police Amardeep Maurya as saying. The complainant alleged that Dilshad insulted Hinduism and hurled abuses at him, the official said.
“We are questioning him and looking into his motives,” Maurya told UP Tak.
The arrest comes amid a row that erupted in the state on September 4 when a group of Muslims held an “I love Muhammad” banner during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur. Hindu groups objected to the banner, claiming that a “new tradition” was being introduced at the procession.
The police had claimed that government rules prohibited introducing new customs into religious processions, and filed cases against 24 persons for allegedly disturbing communal harmony.
However, the police action sparked protests and processions with “I love Muhammad” banners in several districts of Uttar Pradesh and other states. Some of the protests led to clashes with the police, leading to cases being filed.
On Tuesday, the police in Bareilly shot the district president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council in the leg after he allegedly fired at them when a team had gone to arrest him in connection with clashes linked to the “I love Muhammad” posters row that broke out after Friday prayers.
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