Kanpur police arrested former constable Zubair Ahmed Khan on Sunday for allegedly inciting violence in a dispute over the slogan "I Love Muhammad." Photographs of Khan with Samajwadi Party district president Fazal Mehmood circulated online following the arrest.
The controversy began on Sept. 4 during a Barawafat procession in Rawatpur area of Kanpur, when organizers displayed a banner with the slogan, prompting objections from Hindu groups, according to police. Authorities registered cases against 24 people for altering procession arrangements but filed no complaint against the slogan itself.
Khan, dismissed from Unnao police in 2021 and a recent Samajwadi Party member, was accused of playing a provocative audio message after Friday prayers in Kanpur's Railbazar area on Sept. 26, police said. Officers tracked him to a location in Kanpur and took him into custody.
Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, defended the slogan in a Sept. 15 social media post, stating: "Expressing love for the Prophet is not a crime." He tagged Kanpur police in the message.
Samajwadi Party leaders said police mishandled the situation and defended the right to expressions such as "I Love Ram" or "I Love Muhammad." A Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson said lawbreakers would face strict action.
The dispute led to protests and clashes in Unnao, Kaushambi, Lucknow, Maharajganj, Kashipur in Uttarakhand and Nagpur in Maharashtra, police reported. Officers intervened in unauthorized processions and registered cases against dozens of participants.
Kanpur police said they would continue monitoring the situation for potential further arrests. No immediate comment was available from Khan or the Samajwadi Party on the photographs.