UP police stops SP delegation led by LoP heading for violence-hit Bareilly; MP Ziaur Rahman under house arrest

The Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday stopped a Samajwadi Party delegation heading for Bareilly, where the crackdown on the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign led to violence and the arrest of several Muslims, including renowned scholar Maulana Tauqeer Raza. The 14-member delegation led by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, was directed by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to visit Bareilly, which remained tense as the administration's crackdown on protesters continued. Pandey slammed the police action as undemocratic and a violation of the Constitution. A letter was initially issued asking me to stay in the house, but was later corrected. As soon as the government received information about our visit, a large police force was deployed at our private residence in Lucknow to stop us from going to Bareilly. This is completely unfortunate and undemocratic. It violates the rights granted by the Constitution, he said in a post on X. , pic.twitter.com/1LJk8gFq8R Mata Prasad Pandey (@pmataprasadsp) October 4, 2025 Meanwhile, SP MP Ziaur Rahmanwas reportedly placed under house arrest to prevent him from visiting Bareilly. Visuals from outside his residence in Sambhal showed a significant police presence. VIDEO | Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman reportedly under house arrest. Visuals from outside his residence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. A delegation of 14 Samajwadi Party MPs and MLAs is scheduled to visit Bareilly, under the leadership of LoP Mata Prasad Pandey. (Full video pic.twitter.com/Vulz9EdRmY Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 4, 2025 BJP called the move by SP to visit the violence-hit Bareilly a childish step. Sending a delegation to Bareilly by SP chief ShriAkhilesh Yadavis a childish step. The SP is known for its dirty politics of Muslim appeasement. The SPs downfall and wipeout in the 2027 assembly elections are certain. A riot-free UP, good governance, and law and order are our identity and achievement. This is exactly what the SP supporters cannot stomach, UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said in a post on X. At least 34 Muslims, including people close to Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza, have been arrested as part of UP police's crackdown on the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign in Bareilly. The crackdown intensified on Friday, after police violently dispersed a group of protesters who had gathered to submit a memorandum addressed to the President against the arrest of several Muslims for putting up banners with 'I Love Muhammad' slogans in Kanpur. Locals alleged that the police resorted to lathi-charging and even fired shots at the protesters, resulting in several injuries. However, the FIR regarding the violence claimed a planned conspiracy behind the violence on Friday. Police claimed IMC members had decided on an indefinite protest rather than merely submitting a memorandum. Five FIRs were filed in Kotwali, two in Baradari, and one each in Qila, Cantt, and Prem Nagar police stations, naming 125 people and 3,000 unidentified individuals as accused. The administration also targeted the properties of those connected to the religious leader, who has been named the main accused in the case. The Bareilly Development Authority sealed Hotel Skylark, owned by Faham, who allegedly sheltered the cleric. Faham Lawn and Flora Garden, owned by Mohammad Arif, who reportedly provided shelter to another accused, was also sealed. Jalsa Green Marriage Hall, also linked to Arif, was sealed by the authorities.