Bareilly clashes: Muslim cleric’s aide shot in leg during alleged gunfight, 17 more arrested

The police in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly on Tuesday shot the district president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council in the leg after he allegedly fired at them when a team had gone to arrest him in connection with clashes linked to the “I love Muhammad” posters row that broke out after Friday prayers, reported The Indian Express.

The Ittehad-e-Millat Council is a regional party in Uttar Pradesh led by local Muslim cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who was arrested on Saturday and sent to 14-day judicial custody.

The violence had broken out when a crowd carrying “I love Muhammad” posters clashed with police outside a mosque in the Kotwali area.

The unrest reportedly followed the last-minute cancellation of a protest called by Raza in support of the campaign. He said authorities had denied him permission for the demonstration.

Police alleged that Raza delivered speeches that provoked the crowd.

On Tuesday, when the police went to arrest Tazim, the district president of the party, he allegedly opened fire with a country-made pistol, Bareilly Additional Superintendent of Police Manush Pareek was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

This led to the police firing back, claimed Pareek.

Besides Tazim, 17 more persons have been arrested in the case, taking the total number of arrests since September 26 to 73, according to...

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