MEERUT/BAREILLY: Internet services, including mobile data, broadband, and SMS, were suspended across Bareilly on Thursday afternoon due to concerns over potential unrest during Friday’s juma namaz. A government notification stated that internet services would remain suspended from 3 PM on October 2 until 3 PM on October 4.
Security measures have been heightened across four districts in the Bareilly division, with a significant deployment of police on the streets and the use of drones for aerial surveillance. Sensitive areas of the city appear heavily fortified, with many roads and lanes remaining deserted.
City magistrate Alankar Agnihotri explained, “Internet will remain suspended for 48 hours, considering the sensitivity of the situation.” This decision follows clashes that occurred the previous week during a procession related to controversy over the phrase “I Love Muhammad.” Police employed baton charges to restore order during those disturbances. Over 80 individuals have been arrested in connection to the unrest, including local cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council president Tauqeer Raza Khan and his close associates, Dr. Nafees Khan and Nadeem Khan.
On Thursday, the Ala Hazrat Association called for the public to conduct Friday prayers peacefully and return home promptly afterward. From the Sunni Markaz at Dargah Ala Hazrat, Jamaat Raza-e-Mustafa national vice-president Salman Hasan Khan urged imams and the community to maintain peace, avoid spreading rumors, and cooperate with authorities. He also requested special prayers for harmony during Friday sermons.
In Muslim-majority areas, there are widespread fears of impending governmental action. Teams from the Bareilly Development Authority are currently surveying properties for violations, with illegal structures subject to notices, sealing, and possible demolition. Vice-chairman Manikandan A articulated that “action is being taken at every level against those accused of rioting and their supporters. Every illegal brick will be accounted for. This initiative will serve as a lesson to the accused and a warning to others who break the law.”
In Saharanpur, Chandrashekhar Azad was placed under house arrest as he planned to visit families impacted by the previous violence. Azad accused the government of “using police to silence victims and opposition voices” and called for an impartial investigation into the incidents.
Following a directive from the Bareilly district magistrate, police forces from adjacent areas were stationed outside Azad’s residence to prevent his entry into Bareilly, citing potential law-and-order issues. Earlier, two Congress leaders, Saharanpur MP Imran Masood and former Amroha MP Kunwar Danish Ali, were similarly detained to avert their visit to the city.
