Meerut— Tensions flared in Bhagwanpur and Bulaqigarh villages on Saturday after “I love Muhammad” graffiti was discovered on the walls of five temples, prompting a heavy police presence in the area.
Senior police officials, along with forensic teams, rushed to the spot and reviewed CCTV footage from nearby areas to trace the culprits. A case has been registered against eight individuals — Mustaqeem, Gul Mohammad, Sulaiman, Sonu, Allahbaksh, Hameed, and Yousuf — in connection with the incident.
“We are taking this matter very seriously and investigating all aspects thoroughly. No guilty person will be spared,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Neeraj Kumar.
Police sources said they are also probing a possible land dispute angle linked to the vandalism.
Gyanendra Singh Chauhan, All-India Vice President of the Karni Sena, who filed the complaint, accused the local police of negligence. He alleged that the police initially detained the villager who reported the graffiti instead of taking immediate action against the accused. Chauhan further claimed that some police personnel even attempted to erase the slogans to “defuse the situation.”
This is not the first time such a controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in September, Kanpur police had registered an FIR against 24 people for allegedly displaying similar “I Love Muhammad” boards during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession, sparking protests across several states.
