Bareilly on High Alert: SP Leaders Barred Entry Amid Post-Riot Security Measures

Following the calm that returned to Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, after the violent clashes on September 26, the administration has imposed stringent security protocols to prevent further unrest. Heavy police deployment remains throughout the city as tensions linger.

A Samajwadi Party delegation led by state assembly opposition leader Mata Prasad Pandey, along with prominent MPs like Harendra Malik, Iqra Hasan, and Ziaur Rahman Barq, sought to visit Bareilly to assess the situation. However, the district administration denied their entry citing Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code (BNSS), which restricts outsiders without official permission from entering the district due to communal sensitivity concerns. Notices were issued forbidding travel to Bareilly, and police maintained surveillance and control outside Pandey’s residence in Lucknow, where he was stopped. Ziaur Rahman Barq is also under a house arrest-like situation, barred from leaving his home.

Despite the security restrictions, Friday prayers in Bareilly proceeded peacefully under the tight supervision of over 10,000 police personnel. Internet and SMS services remain suspended as precautionary measures to prevent rumor-mongering and maintain public order. Areas like Naumahalla Mosque and Ala Hazrat Dargah saw limited activity, with many shops closed due to traders' fears.

The September 26 clashes, triggered by demonstrations related to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign, led to more than 2,000 unidentified people being named in FIRs, alongside ten named individuals. Several arrests, including local cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan and his associates, have been made as police continue investigations.

The district magistrate and police officials emphasize that the measures are aimed at restoring peace and are being enforced impartially to safeguard communal harmony in the sensitive region.