Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly witnessed heightened tension on Friday as numerous supporters of Ittehad-e-Millat Council leader Tauqeer Raza Khan rallied on the streets following the cleric's detention by the police. Khan had issued a 'jail bharo' (fill the jails) call regarding the Gyanvapi case.
Police reported incidents of stone pelting in the Shahmat Ganj area, resulting in one person sustaining injuries. The District Magistrate stated that the police are probing the situation and will file an FIR accordingly.
On Thursday, Tauqeer Raza Khan urged his followers to participate in a 'jail bharo andolan' (fill the prisons movement), encouraging them to join him in offering themselves for arrest by the police.
Tauqeer Raza Khan issued the call in response to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement in the Assembly, suggesting that Muslims should voluntarily relinquish their claim to the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura.
After the Friday prayers, numerous supporters of Raza Khan flooded the streets. Videos captured them engaging in altercations with others.
Approximately 1,000 police officers were deployed to ensure the maintenance of law and order. Police are stationed at crucial intersections, densely populated areas, and entry and exit points of the city.
Six more Assistant Superintendents of Police and 12 Area Officers are also present to manage the situation.
The atmosphere in the region remains tense, particularly as Bareilly shares a border with Uttarakhand, where communal clashes occurred in Haldwani on Thursday evening.
