India: Jihad Violence in Bareilly, 5000 Muslims Mobilized Through 310 Mosques

Again, the Friday prayers of Muslims in India wreaked havoc, as mobs descended upon the streets of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh on September 26, 2025, in support of the “I Love Muhammad” protests that Muslims carried out in various parts of India. The protests in Bareilly spiraled into violent clashes, leaving the city tense and prompting a wide-ranging police investigation. What began as a large demonstration in the Ala Hazrat area and near the Islamia Inter College ground turned into stone-throwing and damage to vehicles and shops, and left over 20 police personnel severely injured. Many rioters were detained that evening and through overnight raids, and the city saw heavy deployment of security forces as authorities struggled to restore calm.

Police later alleged that the unrest was not entirely spontaneous, but had been planned over several days through mosque networks and social media mobilization. It is also alleged that organizers had connected with handlers in hundreds of mosques across Bareilly. Some reports also claim that around 5,000 Muslims were mobilized through as many as 390 mosques, and had hoarded various makeshift weapons, including bricks, stones, and petrol bombs, with the intent of carrying out widespread violence and even setting parts of the city on fire.

The violence broke out shortly after Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, the president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, called for a demonstration against what he described as insults to Islamic sentiments during the ongoing “I love Mohammad” protests. With his fanatical followers pouring out in large numbers, police struggled to control the chaos, as the unrest became unmanageable. The crowd hurled stones, vandalized vehicles, and tore apart shops, creating panic in adjoining neighborhoods. Police resorted to lathi (baton) charges and other measures to bring the mob under control, but saw scant success in the face of the constantly growing crowd. Investigators claimed that under the guise of carrying out processions, gatherings had deviated from permitted routes. It’s suggested that messages were sent out in advance, urging people to gather in large numbers.

Police have so far registered around 10 FIRs (First Information Reports) in connection with the Bareilly violence, naming about 180 individuals and listing roughly 2,500 unidentified accused, with multiple charges ranging from rioting and attempt to murder to inciting communal enmity. So far, 73 arrests have been made, including that of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, whom police have identified as the main conspirator. Other detainees named in reports include Sarfaraz, Manifuddun, Azeem Ahmed, Mohd Sharif, Mohd Amir, Rihaan, and Mohd Sarfaraz. Police also confirmed the arrest of Shamshad, an office-bearer of the IMC, Tazim, and Nadeem Khan, a close aide of Tauqeer Raza and another key conspirator. Furthermore, officials have stated that additional arrests are expected to follow after all video evidence and witness statements have been reviewed.

District authorities also ordered house-to-house searches in sensitive areas, sealed properties allegedly linked to organizers, and imposed temporary restrictions on movement and internet services to prevent further mobilization. Law-and-order administrators have assured that everyone responsible for orchestrating or partaking in the violence would be prosecuted without exception, and that public safety remained the administration’s priority.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe the events and conspiracy, and is examining various communication channels, such as WhatsApp groups and mosque announcements, to establish how the protest so quickly swelled into a crowd of thousands of frenzied rioters. They are also probing whether incendiary materials or weapons were hoarded for setting fire to properties.

The violence has left Bareilly on edge, as residents dread a repeat of the unrest soon after normalcy returns. The security of the city remains heightened in sensitive areas, and neighboring districts have been placed on alert. The outbreak of unrest in Bareilly has drawn sharp comparisons to the violence that gripped the city in 2010, when similar tensions spiraled into large-scale clashes. That episode, too, had the imprint of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, who was then accused of instigating Muslim mobs to run massive riots, rendering the city paralyzed for weeks, with curfew imposed across several police station areas, widespread arson reported, and dozens of homes, Hindu temples, shops, and vehicles destroyed in the mad frenzy. The violence was triggered by a dispute over the route that the annual Barawafat procession should take. The event is also known as the Juloos-e-Mohammadi procession, which Muslims hold to mark the birthday of Mohammed. Muslims then comprised over 34% of the district’s population, with the highest concentration in the city area. Administrative officials were compelled to call in additional forces and enforce stringent restrictions until order could be restored. It is widely noted that the pattern of the mobilization, fierce street protests, and the subsequent challenge of restoring peace bears a striking resemblance to what Bareilly witnessed this month, with Tauqeer Raza once more emerging at the center of the controversy.