Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 27 : Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi on Saturday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government on the Bareilly protest over the 'I love Muhammad' campaign, accusing the state police of jailing anyone they want.
Speaking to ANI, Azmi said that the police had been "misusing" their powers and "spreading fear" instead of upholding the Constitution.
"There is 'Gunda Raj' and Mafia Raj in UP. The Constitution holds no value there. The police have been given so much power that they can break anyone's bones and jail anyone they want. I condemn this," he said.
The SP leader claimed that the controversy began in Uttar Pradesh during 'Eid Milad un Nabi' when Muslims wrote 'I Love Mohammad'.
"People of every religion say good things about their gods... I respect them... Muslims wrote the same thing. But FIR was filed against 25 people, and it spread throughout the country," he explained.
The Samajwadi leader argued that the police should have handled the situation peacefully instead of resorting to violence. He further alleged that authorities were deliberately trying to divide communities.
"If something illegal is happening, the police should issue a notice. They should call them, talk to them, and file a case but a lathi charge is barbaric and unjust... The police should be prosecuted. They want to divide Hindus and Muslims. If something wrong happens in my constituency, the police should investigate and take action... These people only care about winning the elections; they are not concerned if someone lives or dies or if the country is ruined," Azmi added.
"They are doing everything to win the elections. They are spreading the message of hatred across the country," Azmi said.
A group of people pelted stones during a protest after Friday prayers in Bareilly, prompting the police to resort to a lathi charge and detain several of them.
Protestors had gathered outside the Ala Hazrat Dargah and the residence of Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, holding placards that read "I Love Mohammad."
Earlier in the day, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Range Ajay Kumar Sahni said that 10 FIRs have been registered, and 39 individuals have been identified in connection with the violence.
DIG Sahni told ANI that Maulana Tauqeer Raza, a cleric, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody after he emerged as a main conspirator. Sahani added that 22 police officers were injured in clashes involving firing and stone-pelting.