Hyderabad: Bareilly police have arrested two men for allegedly instigating a minor to shout “Pakistan Zindabad” during a Muharram procession, in a deliberate attempt to implicate the local Muslim community.
The accused, identified as Yogendra Pal alias Jaman Singh and Bhuvnesh Kumar alias Tejpal Singh, allegedly instigated a child to utter the slogan. The incident occurred in Khaikheda village under the limits of Hafizganj Police Station.
The incident came to light through a tweet on the social media platform X, which circulated a clip purportedly showing “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans being raised during a Muharram procession on June 21, 2026. The video was being shared online to implicate local Muslims.
Residents of Khaikheda, who describe the village as one where communities have long coexisted peacefully, expressed relief at the arrests while condemning what they called a pattern of deliberate provocation.
“This is a very nice village. I was born here, and my grandparents are from here. The people of this village have always lived in harmony. But there are two or three people who have been playing dirty politics and have now crossed all limits. They instigated a young child to raise Pakistan Zindabad slogans to disrupt the peace. We are grateful to the police for conducting an unbiased investigation,” said a resident.
Locals alleged the accused is a repeat offender who lives near the local Imambada and has, in previous years, threatened to file police complaints alleging that procession participants were creating a nuisance.
“He himself raised the slogans and is trying to implicate us in disturbing communal peace. Earlier, during another Muslim festival, he sent young children into the procession carrying Jai Shri Ram flags and slogans to interrupt it. The police detained them at the local station. Since we did not want them to face trouble, we went and had them released,” another resident said.
Nawabganj Circle Officer Nilesh Mishra confirmed the arrests, stating that the investigation into the viral post revealed the two individuals had maliciously instigated the child to utter the slogan. A case has been registered under the relevant sections of law, and legal proceedings are underway.
