Tension envelops Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, following a cleric’s call for a ‘jail bharo’ protest regarding the Gyanvapi issue. Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief, Tauqeer Raza, urged his followers to demonstrate against perceived injustices towards Muslims in the country. The protest coincided with Friday’s afternoon prayers and addressed the recent demolition of a madrasa in Haldwani, which resulted in fatal unrest.
Approximately 1,000 police officers were deployed in Bareilly, with heightened security measures at mosques in anticipation of Raza’s march. Raza voiced his defiance, expressing discontent with perceived neglect by the Supreme Court and declaring his intent to pray and then willingly submit to arrest.
The situation stems from a significant court ruling on January 31, granting Hindus permission to pray at the Vyas ji ka tahkhana within the Gyanvapi mosque. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath further fueled tensions with promises to construct temples in Kashi and Mathura, alongside Ayodhya, as key Hindu pilgrimage sites.
Maulana Tauqeer Raza, a Barelvi cleric and descendant of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, founder of the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam, stands at the forefront of this charged debate.
