‘Unfortunate, undemocratic’: SP leader on being barred from visiting Bareilly
**‘Unfortunate, undemocratic’: SP leader on being barred from visiting Bareilly**
*By Snehil Singh | Oct 04, 2025, 01:20 pm*
A 14-member Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation, led by Uttar Pradesh Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, was barred from entering Bareilly. The visit was planned in response to the protests surrounding the “I Love Muhammad” controversy.
The state government deployed a large police force at Pandey’s residence in Lucknow to prevent him and his team from traveling to Bareilly. Pandey described the move as “unfortunate and undemocratic.”
### Alleged Rights Violation
Pandey accused the government of violating his constitutional rights by stopping him from visiting Bareilly. He revealed that the police had sent him a notice instructing him not to leave his home.
“A letter came from the Bareilly DM. He also said that your arrival would spoil the atmosphere here, so you should not come here,” Pandey told news agency ANI.
### Nationwide Unrest
The “I Love Muhammad” slogan first came to attention during a Barawafat procession in Kanpur on September 4. Since then, the controversy has spread to several states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
In Bareilly, more than 2,000 protesters clashed with police following Friday prayers. The unrest was triggered after Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s protest was canceled concerning an FIR filed against individuals displaying “I Love Muhammad” posters during the Barawafat procession.
### Political Fallout
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya criticized Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to send a delegation to Bareilly, calling it a “childish step” and accusing the Samajwadi Party of Muslim appeasement.
Maurya also predicted the downfall of the SP in the upcoming 2027 assembly elections citing their actions amid the controversy. Additionally, tensions escalated after the government demolished properties linked to Maulana Mohsin Raza in Bareilly.
### Aftermath
The protests have led to the arrest of 68 people, including Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan. In response, internet services in Bareilly remain suspended as security personnel continue to be deployed ahead of Friday prayers.
A property linked to Mannani Miya, the son-in-law of Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s elder brother, was also demolished amid ongoing tensions.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/politics/i-love-muhammad-controversy-sp-delegation-stopped-from-visiting-bareilly/story
