‘I Love Muhammad’ graffiti on UP temple sparks tension, 8 arrested

Aligarh: Tensions prevailed here on Saturday after “I love Muhammad” graffiti was found on the walls of five temples in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhagwanpur and Bulaqigarh villages, prompting heavy police deployment.

Senior police officials rushed to the spot with forensic experts and CCTV footage from the surrounding areas was examined to identify the culprits, police said.

A case has been registered against eight individuals, Mustaqeem, Gul Mohammad, Sulaiman, Sonu, Allahbaksh, Hameed and Yousuf, the police said.

“We are taking this incident very seriously and investigating all aspects thoroughly. No guilty person will be spared,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Neeraj Kumar said.

The police are also investigating a possible land dispute angle linked to the case, he added.

Meanwhile, All-India Vice President of the Karni Sena, Gyanendra Singh Chauhan, who lodged the police complaint in the matter, accused the local police of negligence.

Chauhan alleged that the police initially detained the villager who reported the incident instead of acting against the accused. He also claimed that police personnel attempted to erase the slogans from temple walls to “defuse the matter”.

The controversy over ‘I Love Muhammad’ graffiti and posters erupted a few months ago when the police in Kanpur filed an FIR against 24 people for allegedly installing boards with the slogan on them during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession on September 4. The police action sparked protests in Uttar Pradesh and other states.