Days after the clashes of the “I Love Muhammad” protest campaign in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, the residents find themselves yet again grappling with grief. The Bareilly Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared 27 homes illegal and ordered their demolition, creating panic among the residents and uncertainty.
“The BMC board received complaints. Following an investigation, notices were issued to 27 people. They have 15 days to present correct documents. If they fail to do so, action will be taken under the BMC Act and High Court orders,” said Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Kumar Maurya.
Many of the residents allege that they have been living in the house for 40-50 years, and now they stand on tenterhooks as they fret, “Where will they go? How will we take care of our family?”
“If our only shelter is taken from us, where will we go?” said Akhtar Jahan while talking to FoEJ Media. Akhtar Jahan, who has been living in her house with her family for decades and has no other roof to provide her shelter.
“I am very poor—I have no bank balance. My husband has a metal rod in his arm, my mother-in-law is blind, and I have small children to care for.” She cried and said.
“We’ve done nothing wrong. We are very poor; we have nothing to our name. If this continues, we’ll be forced onto the street,” Akhtar Jahan added.
Earlier on September 30, the civic body reportedly sealed 38 shops in the novelty chowk area, stating that the establishments were built on public land.
Violence in Bareilly
Violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly earlier this year, following a protest rally organized in support of the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign. The protest, held outside a local mosque after Friday prayers, was called by Maulana Tauqeer Raza, a prominent cleric and chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council. Tensions snowballed quickly as clashes erupted between demonstrators and police personnel, creating panic among residents in the area and later resulting in widespread demolition and the arrest of at least 90 people.
The I Love Muhammad classes erupted on September 4 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession, after a poster reading ‘I Love Muhammad’ was displayed on a tent along the procession route. The placement of the banner drew objections from local Hindu groups, who claimed it was intentionally put up at a spot traditionally used for Hindu festivals like Ram Navami.
So far, as per the reports of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), at least 22 cases have reportedly been registered against more than 2,500 Muslims. At least 40 people have been arrested across multiple states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
