Chandrashekhar Azad Placed Under House Arrest While Attempting to Visit Victims of Bareilly Crackdown
Bhim Army chief prevented from meeting families affected by police action amid growing outrage over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign fallout.
Saharanpur: Bhim Army chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad was put under house arrest in Saharanpur on Thursday as he prepared to visit Bareilly, where several Muslims were reportedly injured during a police crackdown following protests related to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign.
Azad had planned to meet families affected by the recent police lathi charge in Bareilly, which took place on September 26. However, local authorities stopped him, citing security concerns. Questioning the move, Azad asked, “If there’s nothing wrong and no injustice has occurred, then why is the government stopping me?”
He accused the Yogi Adityanath-led government of trying to silence dissent and said that attempts to suppress peaceful voices would not succeed. “If these so-called ‘dictators’ think they can stop us, they are mistaken. We will continue our fight for justice for the Bahujan and oppressed communities,” he said.
The Bhim Army also issued a strong statement condemning the alleged attempts to silence victims and those supporting them. “We will not tolerate the suppression of our voices. Our struggle for justice will continue,” the statement read.
Azad had earlier taken to social media platform X to call for an end to what he described as arbitrary arrests, police raids, and the demolition of Muslim homes. He demanded the release of those he claimed were falsely detained, and urged the government to take action against those responsible for violence.
Referring to several recent incidents—including the reported arrest of a youth in Shamli for writing “I Love Mohammad” on his chest—Azad alleged a targeted campaign to defame the Muslim community. He claimed that peaceful protests in Bareilly were met with excessive force and that even basic religious practices like namaz were denied.
“The police lathi charge was meant to please those in power. Innocent people were beaten, families are living in fear, and entire communities are being punished without evidence,” Azad said.
He further alleged that police accused Muslims of carrying out violent attacks using petrol bombs and acid bottles, despite video evidence suggesting that the violence may have been orchestrated to frame the community. “People are being tortured in police custody, paraded before the media, and even their homes are being bulldozed,” he claimed.
He also pointed out that religious leaders, women, and children were not spared, calling the entire episode a serious violation of constitutional rights particularly Articles 25 to 28, which guarantee freedom of religion.
Azad reaffirmed his commitment to visiting Bareilly and standing with the affected families, despite attempts by authorities to stop him.
His house arrest came just a day after Saharanpur MP Imran Masood and former Amroha MP Kunwar Danish Ali were also placed under similar restrictions to prevent them from visiting Bareilly.
