Security has been increased across four districts in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly division for Dussehra, with internet services suspended in Bareilly district for 48 hours to prevent the spread of rumors and maintain public order.
Security was beefed up in Bareilly after violence following Friday prayers the previous week. Prayers passed off peacefully with heavy security presence and appeals for peace from religious leaders. Restrictions remained in place and arrests were made in connection with the previous violence.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on charges of indiscipline after he resigned from service in protest against government policies.
A clash erupted between police and protesters in Bareilly after a demonstration in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign was postponed. The postponement, announced by Maulana Tauqeer Raza, led to anger and stone-pelting, prompting police intervention.
Authorities in Bareilly have identified and are taking action against allegedly illegal properties linked to associates of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan following violent clashes in the city.
The cleric's arrest on Saturday prompted administrations in neighbouring districts to go on high alert.
Suspended city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri has announced the formation of his own political party, Rashtriya Adhikar Morcha (RAM), in Vrindavan. He was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government on charges of indiscipline.
A 28-year-old revenue officer (lekhpal) in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide a day before his wedding, allegedly due to excessive work pressure related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The incident has triggered protests and accusations of harassment by revenue staff.
Tensions escalated in Barabanki and Mau districts as protests over the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign turned violent in Bareilly with police carrying out overnight house-to-house raids to nab the culprits and arresting a prominent cleric.
In a major crackdown, police arrested 39 people, including local cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, in connection with the violence during the 'I love Muhammad' campaign after Friday prayers in Bareilly, while authorities suspended internet service in the district for 48 hours beginning Saturday.
Thousands of supporters of Barelvi cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan gathered near the Islamia Ground of Biharipur under Kotwali police station on Friday, forcing the local administration into action to ensure law and order, officials said.
A man who had recently opened a barber shop in the locality entered a house and attacked three brothers -- Ayush, 12, Ahaan alias Honey, 8, and Yuvraj, 10, with an axe, District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi along with the five other Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh will visit violence-hit Sambhal on Wednesday, party's state unit chief Ajay Rai said.
The nodal officer for EVMs in Varanasi, a returning officer (RO) in Sonbhadra district and an additional election officer in Bareilly district have been pulled out from election duties, a day ahead of the counting of votes in UP.
Nineteen people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh in the past 24 hours, the state relief commissioner's office said Monday evening.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to "steal" votes and said exit polls were meant to create a perception that the saffron party will emerge victorious in the Uttar Pradesh election.
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said those who 'support Pakistan' were behind the violence.
Taking exception to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan not mentioning the death of healthcare workers due to Covid-19 in his statement in Parliament, the Indian Medical Association has published a list of 382 doctors who died due to the viral disease and demanded that they be treated as "martyrs".