‘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 recently barred from entering Bareilly. The visit was planned amid ongoing protests related to the “I Love Muhammad” controversy.
To prevent their travel, the state government deployed a large police force at Pandey’s residence in Lucknow. Pandey condemned the move, calling it “unfortunate and undemocratic.”
### Alleged Violation of Constitutional Rights
Mata Prasad Pandey accused the government of violating his constitutional rights by stopping him from visiting Bareilly. He revealed that he received a notice from the police instructing him not to leave his home.
“A letter came from the Bareilly District Magistrate saying that my arrival would spoil the atmosphere there, so I should not come,” Pandey told news agency ANI.
### Nationwide Unrest Over the Controversy
The controversy began after the slogan “I Love Muhammad” was displayed during a Barawafat procession in Kanpur on September 4. Since then, it has sparked unrest in multiple states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
In Bareilly, over 2,000 protesters clashed with police following Friday prayers. The tensions escalated when Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s protest was canceled after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against those displaying “I Love Muhammad” posters during the Barawafat procession.
### Political Fallout and Reactions
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya criticized Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to send the SP delegation to Bareilly. He described it as a “childish step” and accused the Samajwadi Party of indulging in Muslim appeasement.
Maurya also predicted that actions like these would contribute to the SP’s downfall in the 2027 assembly elections. Meanwhile, the controversy has led to property demolitions linked to Maulana Mohsin Raza, further inflaming the situation in Bareilly.
### Aftermath: Arrests and Internet Suspension
In the wake of the protests, 68 people have been arrested, including Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan. As a security measure, internet services have been suspended in Bareilly, and law enforcement personnel are deployed ahead of Friday prayers.
Additionally, a property connected to Mannani Miya, son-in-law of Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s elder brother, was demolished, escalating the tensions further.
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The situation remains tense in Bareilly as authorities and political leaders continue to navigate the fallout from the “I Love Muhammad” controversy.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/politics/i-love-muhammad-controversy-sp-delegation-stopped-from-visiting-bareilly/story
