Thousands of supporters of Tauqeer Raza Khan, the head of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, flocked to the streets on Friday, February 9,in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, raising tensions after he was detained by the police for calling for a “jail bharo” in relation to the Gyanvapi mosque row.
According to authorities, there was alleged stone-pelting in the Shahmat Ganj neighborhood, resulting in one person being hurt. The District Magistrate said that a FIR will be filed and that the police are looking into the situation.
In a ‘jail bharo andolan’ (load the prison) call on Thursday, February 8 Tauqeer Raza Khan urged his supporters to join him in volunteering themselves for arrest by the police.
The appeal was made by Tauqeer Raza Khan in opposition to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s assertion in the Assembly that Muslims ought to voluntarily renounce their claim to the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura and the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.
Following Friday’s namaz, thousands of Raza Khan’s followers gathered on the streets.
There were over a thousand police officers on the scene to keep everything under control. Police officers are stationed at all major crossroads, in regions with mixed populations, and at the city’s entry and departure points.
