The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested the local cleric and the head of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, Tauqir Raza Khan. Officials said on Saturday that Tauqir Raza Khan had called for a protest in support of the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign, causing violent clashes between protesters and police after Friday prayers in Bareilly. According to police sources, Raza issued a video statement on Friday night challenging the official statement of the clashes and claimed that he was prevented and under house arrest.
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In the video, Raza can be seen congratulating the protesters injured in Friday’s clashes. He said, I appreciate all the youth participating in this program. Those who have been injured also deserve congratulations. Raza also regretted his “inability” to submit a memorandum to the President of India through District Magistrate Avinash Singh following Friday prayers, pointing to “continuous attacks on Muslims” and demanded legal intervention in the case.
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a tough stand on the clash between the police and the local people in Bareilly a day earlier and said on Saturday that (the rioters) will teach such a lesson that the coming generations will forget to riot. Regarding the Bareilly case in the developed Uttar Pradesh Vision-2024 program of a media institute, the Chief Minister said that the government has given a strict message that the law and order will not be tolerated. He said in a warning manner without naming anyone, yesterday you must have seen inside Bareilly … He forgot Maulana, he thought that he would threaten and jam, I said that there will be no jam, the curfew will not be done … The lesson will teach you that your future generations will forget to riot.