LUCKNOW: Amid heightened communal tensions, the district police of Shahjahanpur on Monday registered a case against 200 unidentified individuals in connection with a protest that erupted over objectionable social media posts targeting Prophet Muhammad and the holy Quran
This incident followed the arrest of a 45-year-old man on Friday in the central Uttar Pradesh district for posting derogatory content on social media against Prophet Muhammad and the Quran.
Soon after the arrest, around 9 PM, several individuals attempted to enter the police station and raised slogans against the offensive post. The protest soon turned violent, with some protesters setting two two-wheelers on fire.
Despite the police informing the crowd that the accused had already been arrested, they refused to back down.
According to Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi, police personnel had to resort to a baton charge to disperse the protesters. The demonstrators then blocked the Lal Imli crossing, which was only cleared after considerable persuasion, he said.
Dwivedi added that a case was registered on Monday against 200 unidentified individuals involved in Friday’s protest, based on a complaint filed by Sadar police outpost in-charge Shivam Agarwal.
On Saturday, the police arrested a woman for allegedly posting indecent content on Facebook about Hindu deities. Several others also came under legal scrutiny for sharing or propagating those posts.
The SP said that while the situation in Shahjahanpur remained calm, a large police force had been deployed across the city as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, police teams continued conducting flag marches in market areas.
He added that the district police administration had appealed to the public to refrain from making comments about any caste, religion, or community on social media. “No such posts should be made that could disrupt communal harmony. Our social media monitoring team has compiled a list of individuals who posted or forwarded the derogatory content,” he said.
The officer also noted that a team had been formed to identify protesters by analyzing viral videos, police recordings, and CCTV footage.