Congress MP Imran Masood put under house arrest ahead of planned Bareilly visit
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Saharanpur: Uttar Pradesh Police placed Congress MP Imran Masood under house arrest on Wednesday, hours before he was scheduled to leave for Bareilly in the wake of recent violence linked to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ row.
Police personnel were deployed outside Masood’s residence in Saharanpur late Tuesday night to prevent his movement.
Speaking to IANS, Masood confirmed that he and his delegation had planned to visit Bareilly to meet senior officials, including the DIG and ADG, to assess the situation. “We had planned to go to Bareilly, and the entire delegation was on its way. There, we were supposed to meet the officials, the DIG and the ADG, and review the prevailing situation. We are guardians of peace and, under no circumstances, do we promote hatred,” he said, while criticizing what he described as the government’s “discriminatory” approach.
“However, all the sides should understand the problem. Now, the country works by two types of laws, one for us and one for others,” he alleged.
Violence erupted in Bareilly on September 26 when a large crowd carrying ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters gathered outside a mosque after cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan cancelled a proposed protest. The demonstration escalated into clashes, prompting a major police crackdown.
Khan, who heads the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, was arrested a day later for allegedly instigating the violence and remains in judicial custody.
Masood referred to Khan’s arrest while accusing the police of selective action. “This was bound to happen, but only with us. In Fatehpur, rioters were vandalizing the mosque, breaking through barricades and entering, while the police watched on. What action did the police administration take at that time? What action was taken in the violence that erupted on the streets of Muzaffarnagar three months ago? What action was taken in the police station where we were only reciting the scriptures?” he asked.
He further alleged that a specific community was being unfairly targeted, saying they were subjected to lathi charges, batons and bullets, which clearly showed that there were two laws in the country.
Calling on clerics and community leaders to ensure mosques are used only for prayer, Masood urged restraint. “Mosques should not be used in such a way that people come to pray and then start protesting with posters in hand, and all the worshippers become part of that crowd, and then the police use lathis and batons. The BJP's agenda will continue to strengthen in this way,” he warned.
